Norris Skelley, Tennessee State Advisory Board Member

Norris Skelley got a B.S. in Agribusiness Economics from Tennessee Tech University in 1979, but spent most of his career working with United Parcel Service (UPS). He earned the UPS Circle of Honor for 25 years of Safe Driving before recently retiring. Though he maintained his career, his business and personal interests shifted when his wife’s youngest brother, Chris Conatser was killed by a repeat DUI offender on August 14, 1993 at the age of 23.

 

He graduated from the Cookeville Police Citizen’s Academy in 1996, earned his A.A. in Criminal Justice in 2001, and graduated from the Tennessee Department of Correction Citizens Academy in 2017. Norris and his wife, Aline, got involved volunteering for Mothers Against Drunk Driving almost immediately after Chris was killed. They have organized Walk Like MADD events for the Upper Cumberland MADD Chapter, host an annual Softball Tournament to benefit MADD Tennessee, and have served on several coalitions, committees, and community groups representing MADD’s mission locally. Together, they were awarded MADD National’s Golden Achievement Award in 2015.

 

Norris and Aline have been married for 35 years and have two children and two grandchildren. When he’s not volunteering for MADD, Norris serves on the City of Cookeville Leisure Services Department Master Planning Panel and enjoys reading, softball, and supporting Tennessee Tech Athletics. He also loves to garden – or as he explains, “Here in the south, it’s called working in flower beds.”

 

Norris joined the MADD Tennessee State Board in 1994 as a Community Action Team Representative. Her served as the Vice Chair from 1996 – 2004. After that he focused his attention on legislative efforts as the Public Policy Liaison for MADD Tennessee. He has served as the Tennessee State Advisory Board Chair of the Legislation Committee since 2014.