Chris Eaton, Assistant Commissioner for Administration and Grants

Chris Eaton is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing, preparing, and reconciling financial statements for the department. He evaluates effects of proposed legislation and responds to budget questions during legislative sessions and budget hearings. Eaton also serves as the liaison to the Comptroller’s office.

He provides administrative oversight of the Commodity Distribution program, which distributes USDA surplus foods to schools and charitable organizations. He also directs the work of the Land and Water Stewardship program, which provides federal and state financial assistance to reduce the impact of land-use activities on water quality.

Before joining TDA, Eaton was Chief Financial Officer at the Tennessee Public Utility Commission for eight years. He previously served on the Fiscal Review Committee of the Tennessee General Assembly and before that, he was a research analyst for the Tennessee Department of Revenue’s Research Division.

Eaton graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. He earned an Associate of Science degree in Natural Resource Management and Policy from Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn.

Eaton and his wife, Meredith, live in Hermitage, Tenn. with two sons and five family pets. Eaton is a college sports enthusiast and likes to hunt and fish. He also enjoys tending to his garden and foraging for mushrooms, ginseng, and native medicinal plants.