Butch Eley (above in hat), Tennessee’s deputy governor and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, plans to step away from both roles in the third quarter of this year.
[Above photo by Tennessee DOT]
While the announcement of a successor will be made at a later date, Eley said he will “remain fully engaged during the transition” to ensure continuity and maintain momentum across key initiatives.
“Since I decided to run for Governor, Eley has served as one of my most trusted advisors,” said Governor Bill Lee (R) in a statement. “I’ve entrusted him with some of the most difficult challenges facing our state, and he has consistently overachieved.”
Eley described the decision not as a retirement, but as a deliberate and thoughtful transition at the right time to step away from government service and spend more time with family.
“From building long-term systems that better serve Tennesseans, to navigating some of our state’s toughest challenges, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “This moment marks not an end, but a pause – a chance to ensure a smooth transition and reflect on how I can continue to make an impact in new ways.”
Eley began his service during Gov. Lee’s first term as chief operating officer, overseeing 23 state departments and 35,000 employees. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor asked Eley to serve as the state’s chief financial officer as the commissioner of finance and administration.
For his second term, Gov. Lee said he focused on preparing Tennessee’s infrastructure to accommodate its extraordinary economic growth – and, to that end, appointed Eley as commissioner of the Tennessee DOT in June 2022.
During his nearly three-year tenure at the agency, Eley helped Tennessee DOT deliver its very first Public-Private Partnership or P3 initiative; pioneered alternative delivery models to improve project speed and efficiency; created the agency’s first-ever fiscally constrained 10-year project plan; and secured dedicated, recurring General Fund dollars for transportation for the first time in the agency’s history.
“None of this work has been mine alone,” Eley said. “It’s been the result of an extraordinary governor, supportive and engaged teams, and a shared commitment to making government work better for the people we serve. Leadership is about stewardship – and I believe the systems, improvements, and processes we’ve built are strong enough to thrive for years to come.”
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