Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner to Retire | Chattanooga Times Free Press
Andy Holt, deputy commissioner and former state representative, will lead after Charlie Hatcher's retirement, continuing efforts that supported nearly 70,000 farming families and rural development.
- Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who has served since January 2019, will retire this month with Deputy Commissioner Andy Holt set to replace him on October 1.
- Dr. Charlie Hatcher is retiring after serving as commissioner for a seven-year period and accumulating more than two decades in government roles, including his earlier position as the department’s state veterinarian beginning in 2009.
- During Hatcher’s tenure, the agriculture department committed unprecedented resources to bolster rural communities, provide support to nearly 70,000 farming families, and enhance opportunities through programs such as FFA and 4H.
- Governor Bill Lee praised Hatcher’s service and described Holt as a committed public servant with a personal understanding of Tennessee farmers’ challenges, noting Holt self-reported environmental compliance issues from 2015.
- The transition suggests continuity in advancing Lee’s farmland conservation vision, including the $25 million Tennessee Farmland Preservation Act that supports permanent farmland easements effective since July.
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Gov. Lee announces key leadership transition at TN Department of Agriculture
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced recently a key leadership transition at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). Dr. Charlie Hatcher, a farmer from College Grove, will retire from his role after nearly seven years of service as commissioner, and more…

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TN Agriculture Department Commissioner Charlie Hatcher to retire; Andy Holt will fill role
Tennessee Department of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher will retire from the role this month, Gov. Bill Lee’s office announced Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner Andy Holt, a former Tennessee House representative, will take the reins on Oct. 1. Hatcher, a veterinarian and fifth-generation…
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Total News Sources10
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
44% Center
L 33%
C 44%
R 22%
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