Karen Stevenson Simo

Deputy Commissioner

Bureau of Operations, Strategy & Engagement
Environment & Conservation

Karen Simo is the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC), overseeing the Bureau of Operations, Strategy & Engagement. She has 10 years’ experience with TDEC during which she has served in many positions, including Chief of Staff, Assistant General Counsel, and Regional Director for External Affairs in TDEC’s Columbia Field Office.

Prior to joining TDEC, Karen was an attorney in private practice in Nashville. Before pursuing her interest in the law, she was a soil scientist and horticulturist. Karen received her law degree from the Nashville School of Law after receiving her bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Kentucky.

Karen is a proud Nashville native that appreciates the growth across Tennessee while treasuring the natural experiences our great state has to offer. She and her husband, JD, have one wonderful daughter and way too many pets.