By Ellen Myatt

ROGERSVILLE — A decision two years ago to serve as Hawkins County campaign chair for David Davis, who was then seeking the First  Congressional District seat and subsequently won, led Rogersville resident Cynthia Jackson to accept the role of field representative for special projects. This road warrior travels throughout 12 counties in conjunction with other staff who work for the congressman.

"No two days are ever the same. In fact, there are days during which I have no idea what might come up or where I might be at the end of the day.  I can be in Mountain City in the morning and end up in Sevierville in the evening. I had no idea, before taking this position a year and a half ago, of the many and diverse issues that come before the congressman . And they are issues that are important to the people who are contacting us." Jackson said.

"Last year, for instance, our receptionist Ina Castle handled so many requests for passports that she worked a minimum of 12 hours a day, six days a week. Just unbelievable. And yet, it was neat to see the satisfaction she had in being able to help everyone," Jackson recalled.

Other requests for help touch upon agricultural issues, jobs, health care, and funding.

Everyone [in non-profit organizations] is seeking some kind of funding. To  better understand the needs of agencies in the 12-county area we serve and to help agency representatives know where to look for funding, she helped the congressman arrange a workshop regarding federal funding.

"We brought in speakers who helped agency representatives know how to get their hands on grant money. While I'm responsible for funding that goes through the district office, I don't have the time to search for the grants someone might need. But if they can identify what they need, our office can help direct them to appropriate sources for money. It's up to the agency at that point to find a grant writer or to write the grant proposal."

As director of special projects for the congressman, she coordinated the first History, Heritage and Tourism Summit at Tusculum College last year.

"We were initially planning for 150 attendees but more people expressed an interest in attending. We had to cut off the number of guests at 260. It was very successful. We had at least one representative from each of the 12 counties in our district," Jackson explained.

This year the congressman's office has planned the Second Annual History, Heritage and Tourism Summit for November 17-18 in Jonesborough. "The session was a half-day one last year, but this year it will be a day and a half due to the interest that was expressed last year."

A Health Care Summit in February 2008 was yet another special project she supervised. "Bruce Behringer of East Tennessee State University's Rural Health program was an enormous help, as was Dr. Chris Calendine of Rural Health Services Consortium in Rogersville. The purpose of this summit was to inform the congressman of the needs of the First Congressional District and to hear from those who work for various agencies and in various disciplines," Jackson explained.

And when Jackson isn't arranging a special project for the congressman or meeting with constituents at his Blountville office, she finds herself busy keeping up with the active life of her 13-year-old daughter Summer.

"Every day is different," laughed the road warrior as she left this interview on her birthday Monday, heading to a picnic in Cocke County on behalf of the congressman. She is quick to acknowledge she's not the only one in the field or working on behalf of Davis.

"Oh no! There are several including from Hawkins County attrney John Price and Legislative Assistant Megan Caldwell.  Richard Vaughn of Sullivan County is the legislative director. Of course, Brenda Otterson is Chief of Staff and has years of experience valuable to this office, including having worked previously for former Congressman Bill Jenkins.” Based out of the district office in Blountville are District Director Paul Chapman, Field Representatives Dean Reynolds and Jackson,  Ina Castle as receptionist and Judy Herron, who handles Social Security disability issues. Based in  Morristown are Cheryl Bennett, who handles scheduling for the district, and Ann Reucschel, who handles VA casework. Both are from Hawkins County.

"The most important thing we try to do is to educate the public that we are there for them and that the congressman is interested in the issues that concern them. As I said, the issues are many and diverse and not always solved as easily as getting a passport. The sooner we can know about a particular issue or problem, the sooner staff can work on possible solutions or appropriate outcomes.

The road Jackson now travels between 12 counties and the nation's capital may be a broad one but it is also one with bumper-to- bumper issues — which is not an issue for this road warrior.