Michael Ronan Conlon is the first Marine selected for the highly competitive Tennessee Governor’s Veteran Fellowship. He looks forward to initially serving in Tennessee’s Customer Focused Government office, engaging across various state departments to drive operational improvements and efficiency.

Before starting the Fellowship, Ronan served 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including leadership roles as an infantry platoon commander and Special Operations Officer. His most recent overseas deployments focused on the Asia-Pacific region, where he worked with host-nation partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Creighton University and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.

Ronan resides just outside Nashville with his wife, a native Tennessean whose ancestor was a signatory on the Declaration of Independence, their young son, and another son on the way due in Spring 2026. Ronan is greatly looking forward to serving Tennessee state residents through the Veteran Fellowship program.