| My wife Malinda and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in 2023. I met her when I was a young lawyer and she was a clerk at the Courthouse. Malinda is absolutely my rock. Incredibly patient with me, she understands my need to be in the district with constituents. We have two adult children, Bonnie-Marie and Will as well as a wonderful son-in-law, Jamie. All three are establishing careers in their own right. Malinda and I attend the First Baptist Church in Kingston. My faith in God is a crucial part of who I am and how I serve my family, community, and Tennessee.
For 47 years I have had the privilege to serve the public. First, as a teacher in the then Harriman City Schools, later as the Roane County Attorney and then Roane County Executive for six terms. Through my decades of experience in local government, I gained valuable knowledge like learning to work together to accomplish a goal, be a good listener, and to respect those I may disagree with. This understanding has helped me to be an effective state senator.
I was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 2006. In 2018, my Republican colleagues in the Senate elected me to Leadership as Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus. In this position, I work to advance conservative values in the Senate and I am grateful that my colleagues have trusted me with this important role. During my time in the Senate, I have also chaired committees including the Senate State and Local Government Committee and the Joint Fiscal Review Committee. |