Dortch Named Secretary to Weakley County Mayor

Weakley County Mayor Dale Hutcherson recently announced that Melinda Dortch will be the newest secretary at the mayor’s office. The Current Secretary, Lauren Rush, who has been with the mayor’s office for the past three years is currently training Dortch but will be transitioning into her new position at the Highway Department where she is taking over Landa Harris’s position once she retires after 42 years of service as the 1^st Deputy of the Weakley County Highway Department.

“I will be forever grateful for my time in the Weakley County Mayor’s Office. Working with citizens, commissioners, county officials, and the Weakley County School system has taught me so much, but mainly that Weakley County is truly a special and blessed place with dedicated leadership and the kindest, most supportive citizens. I am so proud to have been even just a small part of moving progress forward, first with Mayor Jake Bynum and finally with Mayor Dale Hutcherson,” Rush said.

Rush stated that she looks forward to continuing that work under the leadership of Road Supervisor Jeff Cosby and that she’s excited to see what Hutcherson and Dortch accomplish together.

“I look forward to all of us working together as we push towards a bright future for Weakley County,” Rush said.

Dortch, a Martin native where she lives with her fiancé Alex Parham and daughter, Mia. Dortch graduated from Greenfield High School in 2010 and graduated from UT Martin in 2013. Upon graduation she worked as a private investigator with Inquisitor Inc. in Memphis with a primary focus in criminal defense until June 2019. Dortch then moved to Balestrini, Barnes, Jaber and Wood in Memphis as a paralegal until 2023.

“My goal was always to move back to my hometown of Martin and raise my family. When it was time for my daughter to start Kindergarten in August 2023, I knew it was the perfect time to move back home so that she could begin school in the Weakley County School system and for us to be closer to our family,” Dortch said.

Dortch started working as a paralegal in Hutcherson’s Martin law office and once Hutcherson was elected as Mayor, she accepted the position as his secretary and stated that she looks forward to working with Hutcherson, the commissioners and the people of Weakley County in her new role.

“Much like Dale and his family, my family and I love Weakley County and I view this as an opportunity to serve the community that raised me,” Dortch stated.

“It is my belief that this will be an exciting new time in Weakley County, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Dortch said.

Dortch is grateful to Rush for her willingness to help with the new transition.

“There is no doubt that all of us will work great together in our overall mission to make Weakley County a better place each and every day,” Dortch said.