MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - Rutherford County is putting two familiar names in stone—literally. The County Commission has officially approved naming the Rutherford County Recovery Court Building in honor of Senior Judge Don R. Ash and Mary C. Schneider, two people whose fingerprints are all over the program’s creation, growth, and long‑term success.

Senior Judge Ash told WGNS, "I am truly honored by this news. It is also so important we recognize the work of Mary as our first director. This community has been such a blessing to Rita and I. Special thanks to the staff of the recovery courts plus Mayor Carr and our county commission." 

In 2000, then 16th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Ash, founded what was then called the Drug Court Program. It was a bold idea at the time including treatment‑based alternatives to incarceration, accountability paired with compassion, and a structured path toward sobriety for people who needed more than a jail cell.

Ash didn’t just launch the program—he shaped it. He oversaw graduations, built the model from ground up, and helped establish Rutherford County as one of Tennessee’s earliest and most successful recovery court communities. After retiring from full‑time service, he continued statewide work as a Senior Judge, but his influence here never faded.

Standing right beside him through much of that journey was Mary C. Schneider, LAPSW, the longtime director of the Drug Court Program. Schneider’s name may not appear in statewide judicial directories, but around Rutherford County she’s known as one of the program’s steady hands. Federal NPI records list her as the authorized official for the program, and Tennessee licensing documents identify her as its director. Her work stretched far beyond administration—case management, counseling support, program coordination, grant writing, MRT and Prime for Life instruction, and the day‑to‑day encouragement that kept participants moving forward. Ask anyone who’s been through the program, and they’ll tell you Schneider was a cornerstone.

Today, Recovery Court continues under Judge Jimmy Turner, but its foundation is unmistakably the work of Ash and Schneider. To honor that legacy, the county will place a monument at the front of the building, marking the official naming. A public ceremony is planned for August 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., giving the community a chance to celebrate two people who helped change the trajectory of countless lives.

It’s not every day a county gets to honor the architects of hope. This one feels well earned.