NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Frank Gibson, the founding executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the journalist who spearheaded the idea of creating a statewide open-government coalition in Tennessee, has died.
Gibson passed away Sunday morning in Florida, according to TCOG.
A longtime Tennessean reporter and editor, Gibson spent decades advocating for public access to records and government transparency. He founded TCOG in 2003 after organizing journalists, attorneys and citizens to push back against growing secrecy in government.
He served as TCOG’s first executive director from 2003 to 2011 and later became public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association. Gibson was inducted in 2018 into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame, honoring his four decades as a reporter and editor at The Tennessean.
Gibson is survived by his wife, Kathy; daughter Amy Sullivan and her husband David; and grandchildren Alexander Gibson and Keely Caroline.
TCOG said plans are underway for a Celebration of Life in Nashville, though details about the service have not yet been announced.
Here’s a story offering a great example of how a common cause, and a little creativity, can “intersect” to improve quality of life. Our South Nashville reporter Patsy Montesinos shares how some neighbors decided to take action, following the tragic death of a 77-year-old in a hit-and-run along Antioch Pike earlier this year. See how they used “tactical urbanism” to make the area a little safer for all.
- Rhori Johnston
