Gov. Lee Announces Departure of Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley After Nearly Seven Years of Statewide Leadership

NASHVILLE, TN  - On June 06, 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), Butch Eley, will step away from his role in the third quarter of 2025 after nearly seven years of leadership in Governor Lee’s cabinet and a distinguished tenure in state government. Eley has been a key figure in advancing statewide infrastructure, financial stewardship, and government modernization.

The announcement of a successor will be made at a later date. Eley will remain fully engaged during the transition to ensure continuity and maintain momentum across key initiatives.

“Since I decided to run for Governor, Deputy Governor Eley has served as one of my most trusted advisors,” said Governor Bill Lee. “I turned to him to manage our state departments as chief operating officer after my first inauguration, and then to steward our state’s finances as finance and administration commissioner during the worst global economic decline since the Great Depression. In my second term, Butch stepped into a new role to prepare Tennessee’s infrastructure for generations to come, ensuring we continue to accommodate our state’s extraordinary economic growth. I’ve entrusted him with some of the most difficult challenges facing our state, and he has consistently overachieved. Butch has served the people of Tennessee with the highest level of excellence, and God has blessed Maria and me with a lifelong friend. I thank him for his unwavering leadership.” 

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.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Governor Lee and the people of Tennessee,” said Eley. “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. 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 in the Lee administration as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing 23 state departments and 35,000 employees, where he led the implementation of Tennessee’s first four-year strategic planning process. This long-term planning framework gave state agencies a durable tool to define goals, measure performance, and improve service delivery across government to better serve its customers: Tennesseans.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eley was asked by Governor Lee to serve as the state’s Chief Financial Officer as the Commissioner of Finance and Administration and guide the state’s financial response through an unprecedented economic crisis. In this role, he worked closely with the Tennessee General Assembly and federal partners to deliver responsible budgets and allocate billions in critical federal relief funds. Under his leadership, Tennessee was one of just five states to close fiscal year 2020 in the black, all while preserving the state’s AAA bond rating—a testament to strong, steady leadership under pressure.

Thanks to his fiscal stewardship, the state had the ability to invest in transformative programs and infrastructure that dramatically redefine how we move, gather, and celebrate. From a world-class stadium to exploring alternative revenue streams for infrastructure modernization, these investments helped put Tennessee firmly on the global map.

Governor Lee knew a main focus of his second term would be preparing Tennessee’s infrastructure to accommodate its extraordinary economic growth, and he appointed Eley Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation in June 2022, where he returned to his professional roots in the transportation industry. Under his leadership, the department launched several transformative initiatives:

·        Introduced Tennessee’s first Public-Private Partnership (P3) initiatives to modernize project delivery and increase innovation by engaging the private sector.? 

·        Pioneered alternative delivery models to improve project speed and efficiency, improving service for taxpayers.? 

·        Created the first-ever fiscally constrained 10-year project plan, bringing unprecedented transparency and accountability to state transportation investments.? 

·        Secured dedicated, recurring General Fund dollars for transportation for the first time in TDOT’s history to ensure an additional and sustainable revenue stream to help meet Tennessee’s infrastructure needs in the decades to come.? 

·        Led the single-largest infrastructure investment in state history with the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi replacement project.? 

·        Commenced the state’s first performance-based maintenance contract, engaging the private sector with outlined metrics to establish clear and objective standards for how our roads should look to motorists.?? 

·        Guided the reconstruction of state roads and bridges in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the worst natural disaster in state history.

Throughout his service, Eley has been driven by principles of transparency, innovation, and collaboration. He emphasized that the state’s progress has always been a team effort, supported by talented public servants and strong executive leadership.

“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.”

Eley expressed confidence in the department's future and reaffirmed his personal commitment to ensuring Tennessee continues to lead the nation.

“To our staff and stakeholders: you are in good hands,” Eley said. “The values that define this work will continue to guide the road ahead. As for me, I’m taking a breath and giving thoughtful consideration to my next steps and what that might look like. I’ve always believed in the power of service—and that belief is stronger than ever.”