Tennessee Commissioner of Environment & Conservation
| Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $178,968 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $429,393,700 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Expires with the beginning of the term of the governor next elected or whenever a successor is appointed |
| Authority: | Tennessee Code - Section 4-3-502 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder | |
| David Salyers | |
| Other Tennessee Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation is a state executive position in the Tennessee state government. The commissioner is a nonpartisan appointee of the Governor of Tennessee.
The commissioner serves as head of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which is responsible for protecting and improving Tennessee's air, land and water.[1]
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is David Salyers. He was first appointed to the position by Governor Bill Lee on January 23, 2019.[2]
Authority
The office of the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation is established in the Tennessee Code.[3]
Tennessee Code - Section 4-3-502:
| The department of environment and conservation shall be under the charge and general supervision of the commissioner of environment and conservation.[4] |
Qualifications
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the requirements necessary to qualify for a state executive office. That information for the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment & Conservation has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Elections
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the method of selection and term limits (if any exist) for a state executive office. That information for the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment & Conservation has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify satisfactory information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Vacancies
Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 505 establishes a procedure for filling a vacancy in the office of environment commissioner:
| The commissioner is authorized to appoint such deputy and assistant commissioners as may be necessary to discharge the powers and duties of the department. In the event of absence or incapacity of the commissioner or in the event of a vacancy in the office of the commissioner, an appropriate person designated by the governor may be authorized, in accordance with § 4-4-115, to exercise any and all of the powers of the commissioner until such time as the duly appointed commissioner can fulfill such commissioner's responsibilities.[5] |
Duties
Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 111 of the Tennessee Code establishes the commissioner of environment and conservation as the chief executive officer of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation:
| There shall be a chief executive officer of each of the administrative departments of state government created by § 4-3-101, which shall be as follows: ... (8) Commissioner of environment and conservation, for the department of environment and conservation;[6] |
The department's duties are laid out in Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 504 of the Tennessee Code:
The department of environment and conservation has the power to:
|
Divisions
Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 503 of the Tennessee Code authorizes the commissioner to establish divisions within the department as he or she sees fit:
| The commissioner is authorized to establish divisions, bureaus or other organizational units necessary to carry out the duties imposed upon the commissioner and the department.[8] |
State budget
- See also: Tennessee state budget and finances
The budget for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 was $429,393,700.[9]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $178,968, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $178,968, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $168,708, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner was paid an estimated $156,216. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[20]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment & Conservation has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Tennessee Commissioner Environment Conservation. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 1-888-891-8332
See also
| Tennessee | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, "About Us," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ State of Tennessee, "David W. Salyers, P.E.," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Lexis-Nexis, " Tenn. Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 502 ," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 502," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 505," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 111," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 504," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 503," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Tennessee.gov, "Tennessee House Bill 2973," accessed January 23, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States, 2020," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 28, 2014
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