Jenny Howard, Deputy Commissioner

Jenny Howard serves as the Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, a role she assumed in September 2026. Howard leads day-to-day operations, supports the executive team in carrying out the department’s goals, and advances Commissioner Holt’s vision for Tennessee agriculture and forestry.

Before joining the Department of Agriculture, Howard served as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). She previously served TDEC as General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and Legislative Liaison. During Howard’s 14 years with TDEC, she provided legal, legislative, and operational guidance across a department of more than 2,000 employees. Howard’s leadership expertise includes advising executive leadership through high-impact decisions and improving organizational efficiency by refining internal processes.

Howard grew up in Florida working in her family’s wholesale nursery business. She earned a bachelor of science in horticultural science from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Jurisprudence and Law and Business Certificate from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Howard is a graduate of LEAD Tennessee and of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute. She has been named a Nashville Business Journal “40 Under 40” honoree and voted “Best of the Bar.”

She lives in Nashville with her husband and two daughters and enjoys weekend family outings to Tennessee agritourism destinations.