Tate Rutland is a Hattiesburg native and a graduate of Hattiesburg High School Class of 2008.

After high school, Rutland moved to Los Angeles to gain work experience and explore life in a big city. She worked various jobs within the entertainment, music, and publishing industries and served as a writing coach at the Arnold Schwarzenegger-founded nonprofit, After School All-Stars, which aims to close the opportunity gap for low-income youth.

In Los Angeles, Rutland continued her education, starting at Santa Monica College, where she studied Criminal Justice and Psychology. She later transferred to California Lutheran University (CLU) and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis in Journalism, and a Minor in Spanish. Rutland was the Senior Sports Writer for the student newspaper, winning multiple awards for excellence in journalism.

After graduating from CLU, Rutland moved to Nashville, where she worked as a writer’s assistant for a pair of Grammy-nominated songwriters. Then in 2019, she moved home to Hattiesburg. Rutland worked at Hattiesburg Clinic during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, managing media campaigns and press inquiries from local and national media alike.

Today, Rutland works for the Hattiesburg Police Department as the Public Information Officer, where she is responsible for communicating incident-related information with the public and media. When Rutland is not in the office or on scene, you may catch her at live music events, cheering on the New Orleans Saints, or find her on the golf course.

Rutland said she is grateful to be home and in the position that she is in, which allows her the opportunity to help protect and serve her hometown of Hattiesburg.