For someone who does not typically seek the limelight, Kingsport resident Paul Montgomery certainly made an odd choice for how to spend his retirement years.

“I’m more of a background kind of guy, working behind the scenes on getting stuff done. People like me usually don’t run for mayor,” Montgomery said.

But run for mayor he did and in August 2025, edged out three other opponents to become the Model City’s 29^th mayor and its first African American mayor.

Montgomery grew up on a small farm in Glade Spring, Virginia, but for the past 40-some years has lived in Kingsport. Come November, he and his wife will celebrate their 49^th wedding anniversary. The couple have two children – a son and a daughter – and four grandchildren.

After graduating from college, Montgomery began working at the Kingsport Press and enrolled in the company’s management training program, which afforded him the opportunity to spend three years serving on a start-up team that worked to start up a new plant in Fairfield, Penn.

From there, Montgomery went to work at Texas Instruments in Johnson City for the next decade until the facility was sold to the German technology company Siemans. At that point, Montgomery said he decided to change employers, going to Eastman Chemical Company in Production Planning.

Over the years, he rose through the ranks until retiring as a vice president in 2014.

“When I had the chance to come back to Kingsport I came because I wanted a good place to raise a family,” Montgomery said. “The schools are the best in Tennessee, our church family was great and with my employment, it all worked out together.”

Community involvement has long been a priority of Montgomery’s, including leadership stints on the Kingsport Board of Education, the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Montgomery has served as a deacon for Central Baptist Church for many years, been a member of the Rotary Club for nearly three decades and served as the president and area governor for the Tennessee-Virginia Rotary District 7570.

When he’s not serving his community, Montgomery enjoys reading quite a bit (biographies and John Grisham novels are his jam) and he’s getting back into walking on a regular basis.

“I used to fish quite a bit too, but my patience is not good for fishing. If they’re not biting I’m not fishing,” he said. “I’m not one to sit around and watch the poles. I like the challenge of reeling something in.”

During last year’s mayoral campaign, Montgomery had a simple slogan – “Let’s Talk.” Since then, the mayor has definitely been talking…with residents, with businesses, with folks new to our area. Serving as Kingsport’s mayor has certainly been a different experience compared to his time as an alderman.

“You don’t get as many complaints as an alderman, though I’m getting quite a few as mayor. And I believe some people just want me as a sounding board, which is fine, so here I am,” Montgomery said, adding he has no regrets about running for mayor. “Not a bit. It’s been a year now and I enjoy working with the people and our city staff, who makes it much easier for the BMA to do what we need to do.”