David W. Salyers, P.E., P.G.

Commissioner

Environment & Conservation

David Salyers, P.E., P.G., was appointed Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) in January 2019 after serving more than 20 years as Executive Director with the West Tennessee River Basin Authority and previous work as an engineer in the private sector.

As TDEC Commissioner, he has led deployment of historic capital investment in the Tennessee State Park system and the establishment of 13 new state parks. He has also orchestrated more than $1.3 billion in investments in drinking and wastewater infrastructure in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties on behalf of Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly.

Salyers has been focused on implementation of State Superfund site cleanups and accelerated reclamation through new programs for brownfield site cleanup and redevelopment resulting from the historic TN Rural Brownfield Reinvestment Act of 2023. He also served as chairperson for the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council established by Executive Order 101 that helped facilitate Tennessee’s place as the hub of an advanced nuclear revival for our nation. Last November, Gov. Lee named Salyers the chairperson for the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership established by Executive Order 108. This group is directed to develop and propose collaborative strategies that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Duck River Watershed—balancing the needs of public water supply, economic development, and ecological conservation through coordinated planning, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive resource management.

A Kentucky native, Salyers earned a bachelor’s degree from Murray State and a master’s degrees in engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.