Brentwood 2025: A Year in Review
Published on December 17, 2025
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – On a cool October afternoon, Revolutionary War soldiers marched to the sounds of a drum and fife as if they were heading into battle. The men, wearing the latest in 18th-century military fashion, paused behind the John P. Holt Brentwood Library, so the onlookers could take photos with their iPhones.
The re-enactors visited the library that day for a special ceremony, marking the grave of Revolutionary War Veteran Thomas Bradley, and the presence of muskets and cell phones provided just one example of how Brentwood’s past and the future were intertwined in 2025. This year, the community weaved a complex story that honored its past while welcoming new leaders to guide it into the future.
Here’s a look at some of Brentwood’s top stories over the last 12 months.
New Leadership at Brentwood Police Department
Monday, Feb. 24, marked the beginning of a new era for the Brentwood Police Department (BPD). That evening, the Brentwood City Commission officially recognized Jim Colvin as the Department’s new Chief of Police. He is the fifth person to lead the department since it was founded in 1971. That same evening, Capt. Nick Surre was named the BPD’s new assistant chief of police.
Jason Gage Named New City Manager
In April, Jason Gage moved into his office at City Hall as Brentwood’s new City Manager. He was selected following a national search, and he previously served as the city manager for Salina, Kansas; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and De Soto, Missouri. Recently, Gage spent more than six years as city manager of Springfield, Missouri.
Brentwood Commission Welcomes New Members
The Brentwood City Commission welcomed three new members earlier this year, and that commission named Nelson Andrews as Brentwood’s mayor. During a May 12 meeting, newly elected Commissioners Janet Donahue and Kim Smithson Gawrys took the formal oath of office. Almost two months later, on July 14, the commission appointed Stevan Pippin to fill a vacant seat on the seven-member commission.
Ravenswood Mansion Celebrates 200th Anniversary
On May 18, the descendants of the first and last families to live in the Ravenswood Mansion – James Hazard Wilson III and Reese and Steve Smith – joined the Brentwood Historic Commission in recognizing all aspects of Ravenswood’s history during a 200th anniversary celebration of the home. The free event featured live music, a DJ, food trucks, inflatables, face-painting, and balloon artists. Visitors also watched a parade and listened to members of the Wilson and Smith families speak about living in the home.
Historic Commission Unveils BrentVale Pavilion
On June 28, the Brentwood Historic Commission officially unveiled a new facility to the community – the BrentVale Pavilion at Crockett Park. In 2022, the City of Brentwood dismantled the nearly 200-year-old BrentVale cabin because the building was no longer structurally sound. The razed building could have been easily forgotten, but the Historic Commission was committed to keeping this important piece of Brentwood history. They achieved this by building the BrentVale Pavilion, a semi-enclosed structure made with planks from the cabin’s original wood timbers.
Brentwood Fire and Rescue Welcomes New Leaders
The Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department experienced its own new beginning on June 9. During that evening’s City Commission meeting, the department officially recognized its new cadre of leaders – Fire Chief Brian Collins, Deputy Fire Chief Derek Hyde, Battalion Chief Blane Newberry, and Lieutenant Derek Hershner – during a Badge Pinning ceremony.
Brentwood Unveils Refreshed Website for User-Friendly Experience
In June, Brentwood’s Information Technology Department and its Community Relations Department launched a refreshed website, www.brentwoodtn.gov, allowing visitors to quickly and easily find information. As part of the project, the Brentwood Police Department and the John P. Holt Brentwood Library have also received refreshed websites tailored to their specific needs.
Safety and Preservation Plan Developed for Old Smyrna Road
Brentwood is now actively working on a plan to preserve Old Smyrna Road’s rich history while also making it safe for 21st-century drivers. The most pressing issue is a short stretch of road that is only 15 feet wide. The city’s Engineering Department has conducted numerous improvement and safety studies over the years, and on Aug. 18, they presented three design concepts to Brentwood residents for input. The community’s overwhelming response was for Option A, which will turn that small portion of Old Smyrna Road into a pedestrian trail and add a new two-lane road on the other side of the stone wall and trees.
Brentwood Morning Rotary and City Unearth Time Capsule
On a pleasant October afternoon, members of the Brentwood Morning Rotary Club grabbed shovels and began digging in front of the John P. Holt Brentwood Library. It only took them a few minutes to locate the metal box, which had been buried 25 years earlier by the city and the club. The time capsule contained photo albums, a Brentwood 2020 Plan, police and fire patches, a coffee mug, stuffed animals, and documents from different organizations. A wrinkled copy of TV Guide, which stopped publishing in 2008, was found next to a People Magazine featuring the movie star couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
City Opens Windy Hill Park
On Dec. 13, about 150 Brentwood residents made their way to Old Smyrna Road to be the first to experience Brentwood’s newest amenity – the Windy Hill Park. The 52-acre passive park, originally conceived as part of the Brentwood 2030 Plan, now serves more than 1,900 homes and residents in the northern section of the city.
The land was previously part of Wilbur and Lucy Sensing’s Windy Hill Farm. Wilbur used this flat field as a runway for his single-engine airplane. In 2020, the Sensings sold this portion of their farm to Brentwood for the creation of the new city park. The city is making sure the land’s aviation history will live on with an airplane-themed playground and a mural depicting one of Sensing’s former planes.
The park also features a trail connected to Brentwood’s greenways, a 400-meter loop track, workout stations, picnic shelters, restrooms, and parking at the north and south entrances.