“One man is no man; we need each other and this community to ultimately be successful and happy in life.” Living by this motto, Seth Sumner has made it a daily duty to put Athens and his community first. Second to only his faith and his family, Sumner is a proud Athenian who grew up knowing he wanted to serve by being active in several county board committees like the Tri-County Center Board of Directors and an active leader in local organizations like the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service Advisory Board.

Being the city manager for Athens, Sumner has played a role in advising the council, listening to concerned citizens, and providing the resources that his team needs to accomplish the community's goals. He had a valuable hand in finding responsible ways to fund public improvements like the McMinn Higher Education Center to engage the community for a safer, friendlier, more progressive environment of living. In the midst of the pandemic, Sumner and his team constructed an informational campaign full of data and video to keep citizens informed and where business owners could make their own decisions to protect their health and well-being.

Sumner graduated Berrien High School with honors before attending Cleveland State Community College. He then went on to get his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Tennessee, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Virginia, and he is a Senior Executive Institute graduate. He and his wife Katie have twins, Georgia and Carl Mason, and a four-legged child named Tensy.