Deniece Thomas

Deniece Thomas has been appointed the new commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. She will succeed Jeff McCord following his departure to lead Northeast State Community College. Thomas presently serves as a deputy commissioner for the department since 2019. Thomas joined the department in 2007 when she joined the Clarksville American Job Center. She rose through the ranks of the department, serving as a director, assistant administrator, assistant commissioner, and then deputy commissioner. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama Birmingham and a master’s degree in civic leadership from Lipscomb University.