Matthew McClanahan, Agriculture General Counsel

Matthew McClanahan serves as General Counsel for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. He brings experience in agricultural law, regulatory compliance, administrative law, civil litigation and government relations. As general counsel, McClanahan provides legal counsel to the department, supports agency leadership and oversees legal matters to help TDA serve, support and promote agriculture and forestry.

Before joining TDA, McClanahan was a managing partner at a law firm in Crossville, where he focused on government relations, civil litigation, agricultural and environmental matters, and business law. He also served as Executive Director of the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts, working with conservation leaders and agricultural stakeholders across the state.

McClanahan earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law and graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and a minor in History. He serves as Public Policy Chair for the Cumberland County Chamber and is active in his local community.

A third-generation Tennessean, McClanahan was raised on his family’s farm in Cumberland County. He lives in Tennessee with his wife, Lauren, and their son, Adam Claude.