Tennessee Commissioner of Financial Institutions
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Commissioner of Financial Institutions is the head of Tennessee
's Department of Financial Institutions
, which is responsible for regulating the bank system of that U.S. state
. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking. Originally, a Banking Department had been created in 1913, led by a Superintendent of Banks, and then ten years later credit union
s were added to the Department's responsibilities.
The first Commissioner of Banking, after the position was renamed in 1973, was Hugh F. Sinclair during the administration of Governor Winfield Dunn
. The second Commissioner of Banking, under Ray Blanton
, was Joe Hemphill. The last person to hold the title of Commissioner of Banking was Thomas C. Mottern, under Lamar Alexander
. The first person to hold the title of Commissioner of Financial Institutions, also under Lamar Alexander, was W.C. Adams in 1983.
The Commissioner during the Ned Ray McWherter administration was Jeff H. Dyer. Don Sundquist's Commissioners, respectively, were Talmadge B. Gilley, Bill Houston, and Fred Lawson. Kevin Lavender was the Commissioner under current governor Phil Bredesen
, until Lavender resigned to become a senior vice president of the Fifth Third Bank
corporation. Phil Bredesen appointed Greg Gonzales to serve as Acting Commissioner of Banking in his place on December 5, 2005.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's Department of Financial Institutions
Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions
The Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions is a Cabinet-level agency within Tennessee state government, currently led by Greg Gonzales, Commissioner of Financial Institutions. The Department is responsible for regulating Tennessee's banking system, including state-chartered banks and credit...
, which is responsible for regulating the bank system of that U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking. Originally, a Banking Department had been created in 1913, led by a Superintendent of Banks, and then ten years later credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
s were added to the Department's responsibilities.
The first Commissioner of Banking, after the position was renamed in 1973, was Hugh F. Sinclair during the administration of Governor Winfield Dunn
Winfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
. The second Commissioner of Banking, under Ray Blanton
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton was the 44th Governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. Blanton's administration was rife with corruption.-Early life and Congress:...
, was Joe Hemphill. The last person to hold the title of Commissioner of Banking was Thomas C. Mottern, under Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
. The first person to hold the title of Commissioner of Financial Institutions, also under Lamar Alexander, was W.C. Adams in 1983.
The Commissioner during the Ned Ray McWherter administration was Jeff H. Dyer. Don Sundquist's Commissioners, respectively, were Talmadge B. Gilley, Bill Houston, and Fred Lawson. Kevin Lavender was the Commissioner under current governor Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
, until Lavender resigned to become a senior vice president of the Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp ....
corporation. Phil Bredesen appointed Greg Gonzales to serve as Acting Commissioner of Banking in his place on December 5, 2005.
External links
- The website of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions
- The Tennessee Blue Book's section on the Department
- The Tennessee State Library and Archive's list of governor papers. Some contain lists of the governor's Cabinet members.
- A news article about the appointment of Fred Lawson
- An article from Governor Phil Bredesen's website on the appointment of Greg Gonzales