How Tiffany Craft Made The Role Of Whitesburg KY Mayor Her Very Own

It was a little over a year ago that a motion was made to nominate Tiffany Craft as the new Mayor of Whitesburg following the death of Mayor James Wiley Craft, Mrs. Craft’s husband. The vote was unanimous. Craft became the first woman to serve as Mayor in the city’s history, dating back to 1842, and is now charged with helping her town through the horrific flooding that devastated parts of KY.

“James was Mayor of Whitesburg for 15 of the greatest years the town had ever experienced,” said Craft. “At the time of his death, there were still 16 months left of his term, which I was asked to fill out. The town’s governing body is the city council, and deciding who to vote to complete these 16 months as Mayor falls to them. With a nomination and unanimous vote, on July 13, 2021, 2 weeks after James’ death, I became the first female Mayor in Whitesburg city history.”

Craft said the feelings that came along with this honor have at times been unfathomable. “People used to ask me all the time if I would run for Mayor when James decided not to anymore, and my answer was always, well, I don’t know, I doubt it,” she shared. “Honestly, that’s the only time I ever thought about being Mayor. I just imagined my husband fulfilling his duties, and when he was finished, we would ride off into the sunset, so to speak, and do something else with our lives. But to actually have the title, to be sitting in this seat, something no other female has ever done, will forever be one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Becoming Mayor

Craft graduated from Pikeville College (now known as The University of Pikeville) in May of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication. James and Tiffany were married on August 28 that same year, and she was a stay-at-home wife. On April 19, 2011, they welcomed a daughter, Sammi Lauren Craft.

“My role until I became Mayor was wife and mother,” Craft shared. “I was truly blessed to stay home and be with our daughter. Then, of course, I volunteered my time to the community helping with events and regularly enjoyed my role as the Mayor’s wife. I wanted to leave the spotlight all for James to absorb, and I would just hang out in the background, being his support system.”

In Fall 2020, the late Mayor James Wiley Craft was diagnosed with bladder cancer. For 9 months, he underwent 32 radiation treatments, 4 Immunotherapy treatments, and various procedures.

“We were constantly in and out of hospitals due to underlying complications,” Craft said. “Never once did I leave his side. We were that couple that everyone referred to as the ‘perfect couple.’ We shared so much love between us.”

On June 13, his birthday, their daughter Sammi and Tiffany brought James a peanut butter milkshake at midnight with a candle on top and sang happy birthday to him. Craft said he was so happy even though he was so tired from his illness. Then, just a few hours later, James suddenly had a stroke. For the next 16 days, Craft stayed with him at the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, praying, holding his hand, begging for answers from doctors, and encouraging him to keep fighting.

Unfortunately, James passed away on June 29, 2021, after a valiant fight at age 76.

“When I took over as Mayor, I went from being in charge of a household of three to a community of around 2,000 people,” said Craft. “It was a much different atmosphere for me, as you can imagine. Although I was a bit nervous, I instantly loved my job. I love my community and will do my best to see that we continue to grow and prosper. This is where my heart is. I always tell people that God will put us where we belong, whether it is the path we chose for ourselves or not. I honestly believe this is where I’m meant to be.”

The Flood No One Expected

Between July 25 and July 30, 2022, several thunderstorms developed and brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding, and devastating river flooding to eastern Kentucky and central Appalachia. The worst flooding the community has ever seen was in 1957 when the water rose just a few feet.

According to Craft, the water reached levels of 22 feet, and homes were completely submerged. So many people had to be rescued by watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, pontoon boats, and jet skis. All of which were owned by neighbors.

“No one could have been prepared for a catastrophic event of this magnitude in this area,” she said. “It’s something that this area had never seen. Yet, the community cooperated in heroic efforts to save their friends and neighbors. I have never seen so many brave men and women before in my life. Some of the individuals doing the rescuing couldn’t even swim. But they were out there trying to save people.”

Craft immediately made her way to the city hall, where the police and fire departments are located, to get updates. Then, as her office building was being flooded, she took her daughter and went to the office buildings on the hill behind city hall and took command as much as possible from there.

“Only one person had a cell phone that could call out. Our cell service here with the popular provider everyone uses was dead,” Craft said. “Luckily, my fire chief had a different cell service provider, and we could communicate with others with the same provider. Those first few hours can only be described as hell on earth. I contacted FEMA, Red Cross, and water rescue teams from all over the Commonwealth. Mayors in other cities had been able to reach me to send their support as we tried to provide a space for those displaced from their homes at that time and modes of transportation to get them anywhere they needed to go. I could go on and on, but I still can’t process the entirety of that day. It still feels like a nightmare. It’s surreal. Even now, looking at all of the damage, the debris lying on the side of the roads, the empty houses that people who have spent their entire lives in walked away from, and businesses that have taken blood, sweat, and tears to see to fruition gone. I’m devastated, heartbroken, and I feel empty.”

Craft said that while they do not have a complete estimate of how much is needed to help the town recover, they know it will take several million for the city to be cleaned up and rebuilt.

Her Future Role

When asked if she’d run for reelection, Craft answered, “At the beginning of my job as Mayor, I told everyone I would finish out the 16 months left of James’ term, and that would be all. After that, I would find a different career path. I didn’t realize how much I would truly love this role. After being asked many times if I would be running in the election the following November, my answer went from a no to a maybe. Then that possibly went to absolutely. My name will appear as number one on the ballot in November during the general election in the City of Whitesburg.”

Whether it’s the continued efforts around repairing the damage of the recent floods or being on the leadership panel as part of the Appalachia Center for the Arts and the Mountain Grrl Experience to raise awareness around domestic violence, it’s clear that Craft cares deeply about her town.

“I started out saying I might be a one-term mayor by choice, but now, I will be here for however long it takes, and for however long the great folks of Whitesburg will allow me to be to make sure we are built back better than we ever were,” Craft said. “To make this kind of history is something I never imagined for myself. So I wear the title with honor and great pride. So many people had faith in me and believed I could run this town and make great decisions, which is another great honor. When people believe in you so much, that’s a blessing and honor of the highest regard.”