BILL GIBBONS
Bill Gibbons has served as Shelby County District Attorney General since November 1996. He was first appointed by the governor to fill an unexpired term due to the retirement of his predecessor. In 1998, Gibbons was elected to a full eight-year term and was re-elected to another eight-year term in 2006.
Prior to being District Attorney, Gibbons was a partner in the law firm of Evans & Petree and served in part-time elective positions as a member of both the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission. He also served on the staff of former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander.
As District Attorney, Gibbons has made the fight against violent crime his top priority, with major emphasis on street and neighborhood violent crime caused by the deadly combination of gangs, guns, and drugs, as well as domestic violence and serious child physical and sexual abuse. He has also increased the office's focus on white collar crime.
Gibbons' policies and practices reflect his priorities, including his no plea bargaining policy on the most violent crimes, his joint effort with other law enforcement to crack down on possession of guns by convicted felons, and his creation of special prosecution units to focus on gang violence, drug trafficking, domestic violence, child abuse, and white collar crime.
Gibbons has also worked to develop more effective responses to the community's "broken windows" - minor offenses such as truancy, prostitution and problem properties that create an atmosphere that encourages more serious crime.
Gibbons serves currently as a vice-president and board of directors member for the National District Attorneys Association and on the board of trustees of American Prosecutors Research Institute. He has co-chaired the Metropolitan Committee of the National District Attorneys Association. Gibbons also serves on the U. S. Department on Justice's Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Gibbons chairs Operation: Safe Community, a strategic plan initiative for Memphis/Shelby County created by law enforcement, the business community, and other community leaders.
Gibbons received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. He is married to Julia S. Gibbons. They have two children and are active members of Idlewild Presbyterian Church.
PROFESSIONAL/WORK EXPERIENCE:
District Attorney General, 30th Judicial District of Tennessee (Memphis/Shelby County) (1996 - present)
Partner in the law firm of Evans & Petree, Memphis, Tennessee (1991 - 1996)
Assistant county attorney for Shelby County, Tennessee (1988 - 1994)
Partner in the law firm of Goodman, Glazer, Greener, Schneider, McQuiston & Kremer, P.C., Memphis, Tennessee (1981 - 1991)
Special assistant for local government and urban affairs to Governor Lamar Alexander, Nashville, Tennessee (including service as liaison with local governments, coordinator of the Governor's 1979 Jobs Conference for Memphis, and organizer of the Jobs for Tennessee Graduates program) (1979 - 1981)
Attorney, Buchignani & Greener, Memphis, Tennessee (1976 - 1978)
Admitted to Tennessee bar (1976)
PUBLIC SERVICE:
Chairman, Operation: Safe Community strategic plan initiative (2008)
Member, U. S. Department of Justice's Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2004-present)
Member, National District Attorneys Association Board of Directors (2007-present); vice-President, National District Attorney's Association (2008-present)
Member, American Prosecutors Research Institute Board of Trustees (2003-present)
Co-chairman, National District Attorneys Association Metropolitan Prosecutors Committee (2001-2004)
Member, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference Executive Committee (1997-1998; 2003-present); president, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (2008-present)
Member, Memphis/Shelby County Crime Commission Board of Directors (1996-present)
Member, Tennessee Juvenile Justice Reform Commission (1998-1999)
Member, Advisory Commission to the Tennessee Supreme Court on the Rules of Criminal Procedure (1999 - 2001)
Member, Advisory Commission to the Tennessee Supreme Court on the Rules of Practice and Procedure (2001)
Member, Shelby County Board of Commissioners (1994 - 1996)
Member, Governor's Task Force on Arson at Places of Worship (1996)
Member, Memphis Landmarks Commission (1991 - 1995)
Member, Memphis City Council (1984 - 1987)
COMMUNITY AND CIVIC:
Member, Idlewild Presbyterian Church (1966 - present); member of Session (1995 - 1997); member of Diaconate (1983 - 1985)
Member, Child Advocacy Center Board of Directors (1998 - present)
Founder of Memphis Area Neighborhood Watch, Inc., a non-profit corporation organized to support the development and maintenance of strong neighborhood watch programs; member, Board of Directors (1985 - 1995)
Co-Chairman, Memphis 2000 education initiative (1991 - 1992)
Weekly commentator, WMC-TV evening news (1991 - 1993)
Member, Memphis Rotary Club (1984 - present); member of Board of Directors (2003-present)
Recipient of first annual "Good Guys" award by Memphis Women's Political Caucus (1995)
Recipient of Shelby County Republican Party "Americanism" award (1992 and 1997)
Chairman, Memphis Better Schools (1988 - 1989)
Chairman, Memphis Jobs Conference (1982 - 1983)
Commentator, "Bailey vs. Gibbons", WHBQ-TV (1988 - 1990)
Member, Central Gardens Neighborhood Association (1981 - present)
POLITICAL:
Alternate delegate, Republican National Convention (2008)
Shelby County Co-chairman, Bush for President campaign (2004)
Delegate, Republican National Convention (2004)
Shelby County Co-chairman, Alexander for U.S. Senate campaign (2002)
Alternate delegate, Republican National Convention (2000)
Shelby County Co-Chairman, U.S. Senator Fred Thompson's re-election campaign (1996)
State co-chairman (in charge of overseeing Shelby County), Alexander for President campaign (1995 - 1996)
Co-Chairman, John Bobango for City Council campaign (1995)
Member, Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee (1991 - 1994)
Delegate, Republican National Convention (1992)
Co-Manager, Janice Holder for Circuit Court Judge campaign (1990)
Candidate for Mayor of Memphis (1987)
State campaign manager, George H. Brown for Supreme Court campaign (1980)
Shelby County campaign coordinator, Lamar Alexander for Governor campaign (1978)
Member, Shelby County Republican Party Steering Committee (1978)
State research director, Lamar Alexander for Governor Committee (1974)
State research director, Senator Howard Baker Campaign Committee (1972)
EDUCATION:
LEGAL EDUCATION:
SCHOOL: Vanderbilt University School of Law
DEGREE: J.D., 1976
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION:
SCHOOL: Vanderbilt University
DEGREE: B.A. (Political Science), 1972
PERSONAL:
DATE OF BIRTH: February 25, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH: El Dorado, Arkansas
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Julia S. Gibbons;
one daughter, Rebecca Carey Gibbons; one son, William Lockhart Gibbons, Jr.
