Andrea Bailey

05 Oct Andrea Bailey

What is your vision for Knoxville 10 years from now?

A Knoxville that continues to strengthen all of its unique attributes, including the Urban Wilderness, historic downtown, dynamic arts community, food scene, and all of the benefits of having the University of Tennessee in the city’s heart. Simultaneously, while strengthening Knoxville’s positive attributes, I envision a Knoxville that has found success in innovative solutions to homelessness, inequity, racial injustice, and environmental threats.

What are you reading that is on your nightstand?

I can never just read one thing, so Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shafer.

What is your favorite Knoxville memory?

I was seeing Knoxville for the first time when I interviewed here in late 2016. I visited Market Square, Knoxville Museum of Art, and several other local treasures. From the visit and my research, I could tell that Knoxville was so much more than those on the outside knew, and it had incredible potential to thrive as a model Southern city.

What is the best advice you have received from a mentor, and who was that mentor?

My undergraduate degree mentor, Art Historian Cris Hassold, used to tell me that It’s not about what you learn. It’s about learning how to learn. She gave me the freedom to focus less on aspects like dates and more on fine-tuning my critical thinking and writing skills, which apply to any subject or learning environment.

What advice would you give to your 16 year old self?

I don’t know that I would. I believe strongly in process. All of the figurative and literal bumps and scrapes are part of becoming who we are as well as continually striving for who we want to be.