Gov. Lee Announces Leadership Transition in the Governor's Office

NASHVILLE, TN - On July 21, 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that Alec Richardson will depart the Governor’s office at the end of the month after serving in multiple roles over nearly seven years, including his most recent position of Senior Advisor and Director of External Affairs. Richardson has served Lee since his successful primary run in 2018 and will transition to the role of State Director for U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty.

Casey Sellers has been appointed to serve as Senior Advisor to the Governor, in addition to her current role as Director of Communications and a member of Gov. Lee’s cabinet.

“Since the early days of running for Governor, Alec has been one of my most trusted advisors and one of Tennessee’s most impactful public servants. Alec’s passion for rural Tennessee has contributed greatly to our administration’s work to expand opportunity across economically distressed and at-risk counties, and I am grateful that Tennesseans will continue to benefit from his leadership in a new role.” said Gov. Lee. “Maria and I will always treasure his friendship, and we pray God’s richest blessings over Alec and his family in the days ahead.”

As one of the longest-serving members of Lee’s team and a native of Perry County, Alec Richardson has been instrumental in achieving the Governor’s agenda to champion rural advancement through the creation of the Governor’s Rural Opportunity Summit, a convening of executive branch and county leaders to collaborate on innovative solutions that ensure all Tennesseans can thrive. Notably, he led efforts to secure Tennessee’s first Major League Baseball game at Bristol Motor Speedway and played a key role in crafting legislation to increase teacher pay across the state. When East Tennessee experienced an unprecedented natural disaster, Richardson was a strong advocate for the Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program, a first-of-its-kind fund to provide immediate financial relief for Tennesseans.

“Casey’s leadership and extensive communications experience has been integral to our administration’s work to serve Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee. “As she takes on an expanded role, Maria and I deeply appreciate Casey’s service and know that her insight will be invaluable as we continue to tackle the challenges facing our state and pursue key priorities for Tennessee.”

In addition to her role as Senior Advisor to the Governor, Casey Sellers currently serves as Lee’s Director of Communication, overseeing all external communications for the Office of the Governor and the Lee administration. A Memphis native, she has deep experience in state and federal political communications, including service with U.S. Representative David Kustoff of Tennessee, former U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee and former U.S. Senator David Perdue of Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.