Former State Representative Andy Holt officially began his tenure as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, succeeding Charlie Hatcher, who retired from the position after nearly seven years.
Holt, who had been serving as deputy commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture under Hatcher before his appointment, previously served as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly for 10 years, representing House District 76.
In the General Assembly, Holt, among other titles, served as vice-chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and as the chairman of the Ag Day on the Hill Committee for all 10 years of his tenure.
Holt, who lives on his family farm outside of Dresden, previously worked with Farm Credit Services and the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in agricultural economics business with a minor in animal science (2004) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and a Master of Business Administration (2007) from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Upon announcing Holt’s appointment to serve as commissioner, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said, “Andy is a committed public servant who brings a personal understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Tennessee farmers.”
“I’m grateful for his leadership and am confident he will serve Tennesseans with integrity by strengthening rural communities and supporting our agriculture industry,” Lee added at the time.
Today, Andy Holt was sworn in as commissioner of @TNAgriculture.
Andy is a committed public servant who brings a personal understanding of the challenges & opportunities facing TN farmers. I’m grateful for his leadership to strengthen rural communities & support our ag industry. pic.twitter.com/8lBAIYO89A
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) September 25, 2025
Holt was officially sworn into the role last week, succeeding Hatcher, who retired after serving in state government for more than 21 years, nearly seven of which he served as commissioner.
Lee said Hatcher “faithfully served Tennesseans since day one” of his administration.
“Under his leadership, the Department of Agriculture has made significant investments in our rural communities and safeguarded our food supply. I’m deeply grateful for his decades of service to Tennessee’s farming families, and Maria and I wish Charlie continued success and pray God’s richest blessings over him in the days ahead,” the governor added.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Andy Holt” by Bill Lee.
