Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today announced fellow Cabinet member Stuart McWhorter will succeed Deputy Governor Butch Eley as Deputy Governor of Tennessee, effective Oct. 15.

Venture Nashville's prior coverage of McWhorter is here.

McWhorter will continue to serve as Gov. Lee's commissioner of the department of economic and cummunity development (TN ECD), in which capacity he also serves as chairman of the board of directors of Tennessee Technology Development Corporation dba Launch Tennessee.

Eley's plan to step down from his current role was announced in June. Eley has served in the Lee Cabinet in several capacities during the past seven years. He has not publicly announced details of his potential pursuits following his state service.

In a press release issued this afternoon, Gov. Lee said of Deputy Governor-designate McWhorter:

“Commissioner McWhorter has served Tennesseans since the early days of my administration. During my first term, I called on him to leverage more than 25 years of entrepreneurial and investing experience to successfully steward our state’s finances as Commissioner of Finance and Administration. In my second term, Stuart took on the significant responsibility of recruiting leading global companies to our state, creating greater opportunity for tens of thousands of Tennesseans. I’m deeply grateful for Stuart’s leadership and appreciate his willingness to take on an expanded role as deputy governor.”

Today's release said McWwhorter has while leading TNECD supported 263 projects representing more than 36,000 job commitments and more than $21BN in capital investment.

McWhorter previously served as Commissioner of Finance and Administration, where he led the development of two state budgets and co-chaired the Governor’s Healthcare Modernization Task Force.

McWhorter also served as director of the Unified Command Group that coordinated Tennessee’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to joining the Lee administration, McWhorter co-founded and chaired Clayton Associates, bringing more than 25 years of entrepreneurship and early-stage investing experience to state government.

He co-founded that firm with his father, Clayton McWhorter, who died in 2016.

Clayton Associates, originally a family office, spawned several venture capital funds, including Altitude Ventures and FCA Venture Partners. 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Clemson University and master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. 

McWhorter earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Clemson University and master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He and his wife, Leigh Anne, reside in Nashville with their five children.

Butch Eley

Adding to comments he made upon Eley's earlier plans to depart, Gov. Lee today said in today's release: 

“Since I first decided to run for Governor, Butch Eley has been one of my most trusted advisors and a steady hand in guiding Tennessee through seasons of opportunity, as well as uncertainty. From managing the executive branch as chief operating officer, to stewarding our state’s finances through the worst economic crisis in nearly a century, resulting in Tennessee being one of the only states to close those fiscal years positively, to modernizing our infrastructure for generations to come and ensuring Tennessee has the capacity to continue growing, Butch has consistently delivered for Tennesseans. Maria and I are deeply grateful for his unwavering leadership, his heart for service, and his love for Tennessee. We treasure his friendship and pray God’s richest blessings over Butch and his family in the days ahead.”

Background: Today's press release also explained Eley "has been at the forefront of strengthening Tennessee’s fiscal foundation and modernizing the state’s infrastructure. He began his service in the administration as Chief Operating Officer, leading the state’s first four-year strategic planning process to improve performance across state government. As Commissioner of Finance and Administration, Eley guided Tennessee’s financial response to the worst global economic decline since the Great Depression, and under his leadership, Tennessee was one of just five states to close fiscal year 2020 in the black. In addition to his role as deputy governor, Eley most recently served as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, advancing historic infrastructure efforts and positioning the state for continued growth."