MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Mayor Shane McFarland recognized Public Works employees Nate Bailey and Laterrie “T.J.” Steverson Thursday April 6, 2023, as STARS for locating a missing person who had fallen into a steep drainage easement. The victim was rescued and reunited with family thanks to their conscientious and compassionate action. 

Nate Bailey works for the City of Murfreesboro as an Equipment Operator for the Street Department and has served in the department since October 2017. T.J. Steverson was hired as a Public Works Tech 1 for the Street Department in February 2023, just two days before the incident took place.

The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and a group of City Street Department employees nominated Bailey and Steverson for the STARS Award offering the following description:

“On the morning of February 15, 2023, Nate Bailey and T.J. Severson were doing their normal drainage checks when they were stopped by a family in panic. The group was missing an elderly family member and had asked them if they had by chance seen someone wandering while they were working their route. Bailey and Steverson told the family they had not seen anyone, but they would keep an eye out while working and would notify them if they saw anyone. As they continued their route, Bailey and Steverson happened to look out of the truck and noticed a person lying at the bottom of a steep, deep drainage easement. Upon further review and knowing the description of the missing person the family had given to them, they confirmed it was the family’s missing person. Bailey and Steverson hurried back into the truck and went back to the family’s house where First Responders were on the scene and told them where the person could be located. First Responders were then able to rescue the individual from the steep drainage easement and reunited the person with their family. Thanks to Nate Bailey and T.J. Steverson, this person was rescued and reunited with their family. These two doing simply what they promised by keeping an eye out for the family, surely saved this person’s life.”                                         

STARS stands for “Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence.” STARS are examples of representing the City in a positive light, exhibiting the core values, and creating a better quality of life for citizens.

The STARS Service Excellence program recognizes outstanding employees who embody the city’s standards for service excellence and exemplify the city’s core service values. The purpose of the STARS award is to recognize and reward those employees who go beyond their normal job duties in providing outstanding customer service to internal and external customers.

Congratulations to Nate Bailey and T.J. Steverson for being named STARS Award recipients after their compassionate response in locating a missing person who was reunited with their family.