Jackson mayor's chief of staff resigns in the aftermath of stalking charges

Sarah Best, Jackson Sun
·2 min read
Former Jackson Chief of Staff Alex Reed waits for his hearing inside the Madison County Circuit Court in Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.
Former Jackson Chief of Staff Alex Reed waits for his hearing inside the Madison County Circuit Court in Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.
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Roland "Alex" Reed, the former chief of staff to City of Jackson Mayor Scott Conger, resigned from his position on Tuesday.

His resignation, effective immediately, comes on the tail end of taking a best-interest plea deal on Monday for charges of stalking and the electronic tracking of a vehicle.

"We acknowledge the gravity of these charges and are committed to upholding the principles of integrity and transparency within the Mayor’s Office. Our focus remains on serving the city with the highest standards of conduct during the transitional period," Conger wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

More: Jackson mayor's Chief of Staff indicted on charges of stalking, electronic tracking

More: Election results: Jackson Mayor race ends in 2nd historic runoff between Conger, Condray

Jackson's City Administrative Assistant Alex Reed prays with the community in front of the City Hall in Jackson, Tenn., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. The community peacefully protest against police violence towards the African American community.
Jackson's City Administrative Assistant Alex Reed prays with the community in front of the City Hall in Jackson, Tenn., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. The community peacefully protest against police violence towards the African American community.

Since Reed's indictment and arrest in April, he had been placed on administrative leave without pay and was forced to relinquish all city-issued items.

In a 2019 interview with the Jackson Sun, Reed opened up about the rocky trajectory of how he returned to his hometown of Jackson.

Reed was previously terminated from a congressional campaign in Arkansas for unlawfully utilizing $20,000 in campaign funds to fuel his gambling addiction. Despite loaning the money back in full, campaign finance laws prohibit such recourse.

Providing the opportunity for redemption, Conger took a chance on Reed and brought him aboard staff in 2019 as his informal campaign manager.

At the time, he credited Reed for being a key player in securing his then first-term mayoral seat. He continued his tenure with the mayor as an administrative assistant before assuming his most recent position as the Chief of Staff.

Mayor Scott Conger and campaign manager, Alex Reed, celebrate victory as hundreds of supporters of Scott Conger for Mayor of the City of Jackson gathered at the Doubletree Hotel in Jackson, Tennessee for an election watch party on June 13, 2023. Everyone watched anxiously for over an hour as the election returns were given by Steve Bowers and Steve Beverly on EPlus TV over large screens in the room. The Madison County Election Commission announced the final results showing the incumbent Scott Conger, receiving 5,304 (58%) votes to 3,813 (42%) for challenger Ray Condray.

Conger won his second mayoral term in March 2023 with Reed by his side once again.

"Whatever mistakes or whatever someone has done personally, people shouldn't be defined by that," Conger said in a 2019 interview with the Jackson Sun.

"Alex is talented, he's humble, he's intelligent and he has been an asset to me during and before the campaign. He'll be an asset to this office and the city."

Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Mayor's chief of staff resigns after taking plea deal on stalking case