Board

Emily Reynolds has had an extensive career in public service, policy and government.  She is currently the vice chairman of the Tennessee Board of Regents.  

Reynolds was appointed to the TBR on September 30, 2010 by Governor Phil Bredesen. She was reappointed to serve a second term in 2016 by Governor Bill Haslam and a third term in 2021 by Governor Bill Lee.

Reynolds had previously served as Secretary of the United States Senate where she managed the Senate’s legislative, financial and administrative operations.  

Jeremy Harrell was appointed on August 23, 2024 by Governor Bill Lee for a six-year term representing Middle Tennessee.

Jeremy is the founder, president & chief executive officer of The Adoption Project. He is an adoptive parent and advocate for adoption and foster care.

Andy Holt was sworn in by Governor Bill Lee as the state's 39th Commissioner of Agriculture in October 2025. Before that, he served as Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner for the Business Development Division.

Lizzette Reynolds currently serves as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education. She was sworn in on June 29, 2023.  

During her tenure, the Tennessee Department of Education has implemented strong literacy and learning acceleration policies leading to historic academic gains thanks to the hard work of districts, administrators, and families, as student scores rebound from impacts of the pandemic. Further, Tennessee students achieved the highest 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate since ELA standards were reset in 2017.  

Barry Stephenson was appointed to the Tennessee Board of Regents to represent the third congressional district. Mr. Stephenson is a chemist with over 55 years of experience including 44 years in senior management positions in analytical testing laboratories. His experience includes all aspects of laboratory operations, administration, project development and management, and business development. In 1998, he was instrumental in the commercialization of Materials and Chemistry Laboratory, formerly a DOE contractor laboratory at K25 Uranium Emichment Facility in Oak Ridge.

Todd Kaestner was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to represent the 7th Congressional District. In September 2025, he retired as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and President – CCRCs of Brookdale Senior Living, where he served since August 2021. Prior to that, Todd served as the Company’s Executive Vice President – Asset Management and Division President – Entry Fee since June 2019 and Executive Vice President – Corporate Development since July 2006. Prior to joining Brookdale, Mr.

Nisha Powers was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve as the 9th congressional district representative. She is President of Powers Hill Design, LLC – a civil engineering firm that she established in 2005, located in Downtown Memphis.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) and has worked in the engineering community in Memphis since 1997.

Bill Lee is a seventh-generation Tennessean and the 50th Governor of Tennessee. He was raised in Franklin, where he still resides today with his wife, Maria, on his family’s farm. He’s the proud father of four adult children (Jessica, twin sons Jacob and Caleb, and Sarah Kate) and nine grandchildren.