Scott Couch
News Anchor, WZTV-TV Fox 17 Nashville
Scott Couch has one of the most recognizable faces in Middle Tennessee. As a local television news anchor and reporter, he has been a daily on-air presence for Nashville area viewers for more than 30 years.
Scott began his career in radio shortly after graduating from Western Kentucky University. Although he started out in radio, he soon realized that television was his true calling.
“I was fortunate to be able to break into the Nashville television market as a reporter for News Channel 5,” he says. “My experience as a field reporter helped me hone the on-the-air and behind-the-scenes skills necessary to succeed in television journalism.”
In 2007, Scott joined Fox 17’s news department. Since that time, he has served in a variety of roles, including reporter, anchor and co-host of the station’s weekly Nashville in Focus political talk show.
Throughout his career, Scott has achieved considerable industry acclaim. He has accumulated numerous professional honors, including four Emmys and more than a dozen Associated Press awards.
Despite his busy schedule, Scott is active in the community, where he often serves as master of ceremonies for local civic events. He is involved with several nonprofit organizations, including the Salvus Center, Holiday Fest and the Sumner County Humane Association. He also serves as the president of his neighborhood homeowners' association.
In his free time, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife, Dana, attending sporting events, listening to music and reading novels.
“I was blessed to begin my career surrounded by experienced, talented journalists. I learned a great deal from them, and I grew to admire their dedication and integrity. I set a personal goal to emulate them and to have my word and my work respected just like those who came before me.”
Mickey Miller
Chief of Police, Hendersonville Police Department
Mickey Miller always knew he wanted a life of public service. By his high school graduation, he was determined to serve his country and his community however he could.
After college, he first considered joining the armed services. However, due to post-Vietnam military staffing uncertainty, he opted to pursue a career in law enforcement instead.
“Going into law enforcement was an easy choice for me,” Mickey says. “My dad was in the police business, as well as two of my uncles.”
Mickey began his career with the Metro Nashville Police Department as a patrol officer. Over the years, he worked his way up through a variety of departmental assignments before finally achieving the rank of assistant chief before his retirement from Metro on Oct. 18, 2010. His tenure as chief of police in Hendersonville began the very next day.
Along with his law enforcement duties, Mickey is an active member of the Tennessee State Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He is also very involved in community outreach, spending a considerable amount of his time reaching out to various neighborhood groups.
“Soon after I arrived in Hendersonville, I appointed a community coordinator to assist me in working with community associations,” Mickey says. “We help our neighbors deal with police issues, and we help facilitate their needs with other city and utility departments.”
During his limited downtime, Mickey enjoys riding his motorcycle and watching television news programs.
“The Hendersonville Police Department is here to protect the innocent people of our city from criminals who want to prey upon them. I am not going to let that happen on my watch.”
Steve Botts
President – Insurance and Risk Management, Heritage Financial Group
Communication and compromise are the heart and soul of Steve Botts.
Since 1982, the local businessman and community leader has used his communications skills to forge consensuses that have helped Hendersonville and Sumner County grow and prosper.
“These days, many people consider the words 'consensus' and 'compromise' to be vulgar terms,” Steve says. “They are not. Reaching a common ground, while difficult to find, is where worthy accomplishments are usually born.”
Steve has embodied these principles in his locally based insurance and financial planning business, Heritage Financial Group. He understands that the best solutions for his business and individual customers involve achieving a compromise among wants, needs and resources.
Over the years, Steve has also employed his communications abilities to help improve Hendersonville and Sumner County through his service on the county commission. During his nearly quarter-century tenure, Steve was able to help drive significant progress in the county. He is particularly proud of the improvements made in the county’s schools and emergency management services.
“During my term of service, we were able to implement a lot of new construction and upgrade projects for our county schools,” Steve says. “In the Hendersonville area alone, we built the new Hendersonville High School, the Station Camp complex and Jack Anderson Elementary School.”
Despite a busy work schedule, Steve is very involved in community and civic affairs. Currently, Steve serves as the board chair of the Hendersonville Area Chamber of Commerce and as a board member of the Salvus Center, Inc.
During his rare downtime, Steve enjoys watching movies, attending plays and listening to live music.
“Know that you will make mistakes and have failure points along the way. Keep your head up, forgive yourself fast and keep moving forward. Seek progress, not perfection.”
Dr. Mohammad Ali
Physician, Comprehensive Arthritis Care
Hendersonville rheumatologist Dr. Mohammad Ali was destined to become a physician. Given that his mother is a doctor, Dr. Ali knew at an early age that he wanted to follow in her footsteps.
“My mother is my mentor,” Dr. Ali says. “She has always encouraged me to achieve my dreams, no matter how difficult the circumstances.”
A native of Pakistan, Dr. Ali immigrated to the United States shortly after finishing medical school in 1997. He served in various positions at hospitals in Texas and New York before moving to Tennessee in 2006. In 2018, Dr. Ali opened his new Comprehensive Arthritis Care office in Hendersonville, where he specializes in the treatment of arthritis, lupus and other connective tissue diseases.
Over the years, Dr. Ali has helped thousands of patients through a combination of structured treatment plans and education.
“There is no higher calling than to take care of people,” Dr. Ali says. “As a physician, I find helping improve the lives of my patients to be extremely gratifying.”
Although his patient load keeps him busy, Dr. Ali still finds time to be active in his community. He often volunteers for nonprofit clinics, and he provides educational presentations for local civic groups.
During his leisure time, Dr. Ali is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys biking, camping and hunting. He also loves traveling and learning about new cultures with his wife, Hana.
“Never give up on your dreams, and trust in God. Persistence and perseverance will get you through tough times.”
