Deputy Governor, TDOT Commissioner steps away after seven years
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Butch Eley is stepping away from his role in the third quarter of 2025 after nearly seven years of leadership.
Eley has been a key figure in advancing infrastructure, financial stewardship and government modernization across the state, according to a news release.
'It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Governor Lee and the people of Tennessee,' Eley said in the release. 'From building long-term systems that better serve Tennesseans, to navigating some of our state's toughest challenges, I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished. This moment marks not an end, but a pause—a chance to ensure a smooth transition and reflect on how I can continue to make an impact in new ways.'
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Eley described the decision as a transition to step away from government to spend more time with his family.
Under his role as TDOT Commissioner, Eley reportedly launched the following initiatives:
Introduced Tennessee's first Public-Private Partnership (P3) initiatives to modernize project delivery and increase innovation by engaging the private sector.
Pioneered alternative delivery models to improve project speed and efficiency, improving service for taxpayers.
Created the first-ever fiscally constrained 10-year project plan, bringing unprecedented transparency and accountability to state transportation investments.
Secured dedicated, recurring General Fund dollars for transportation for the first time in TDOT's history to ensure an additional and sustainable revenue stream to help meet Tennessee's infrastructure needs in the decades to come.
Led the single-largest infrastructure investment in state history with the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi replacement project.
Commenced the state's first performance-based maintenance contract, engaging the private sector with outlined metrics to establish clear and objective standards for how our roads should look to motorists.
'Since I decided to run for Governor, Deputy Governor Eley has served as one of my most trusted advisors,' Governor Bill Lee said in the release. 'I turned to him to manage our state departments as chief operating officer after my first inauguration, and then to steward our state's finances as finance and administration commissioner during the worst global economic decline since the Great Depression. In my second term, Butch stepped into a new role to prepare Tennessee's infrastructure for generations to come, ensuring we continue to accommodate our state's extraordinary economic growth. I've entrusted him with some of the most difficult challenges facing our state, and he has consistently overachieved. Butch has served the people of Tennessee with the highest level of excellence, and God has blessed Maria and me with a lifelong friend. I thank him for his unwavering leadership.'
'None of this work has been mine alone,' Eley said in the release. 'It's been the result of an extraordinary Governor, supportive and engaged teams, and a shared commitment to making government work better for the people we serve. Leadership is about stewardship—and I believe the systems, improvements, and processes we've built are strong enough to thrive for years to come.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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