Haslam, Johnson Name New State Forester

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam and Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson today announced the appointment of veteran Division of Forestry employee Jere Jeter as State Forester and Assistant Commissioner.

Jeter succeeds Steven Scott, who retired earlier this year after serving 10 years in the position.

“Jere has extensive natural resources management experience in both the private and public sectors that will serve our state well as we deal with important forest resource and protection issues, and I’m pleased to join Commissioner Johnson in making this announcement,” Haslam said.

As State Forester and Assistant Commissioner, Jeter is responsible for the administration of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry, which manages more than 166,000 acres of state-owned forests and has responsibility for wildfire prevention and suppression, reforestation, landowner assistance, forest health, urban forestry and forest inventory. 

A native of Weakley County, Tenn., Jeter has been with the state Division of Forestry for more than 31 years. He first joined the agency in 1975 as an area forester serving McNairy and Hardeman counties. He also served as a staff forester working with wood-using industries. He has served as assistant state forester for the past 16 years, overseeing operations including equipment, property, budget and personnel management.

Jeter also has experience in the private sector managing operations of a hardwood lumber concentration and drying operation in Camden, Tenn. He has a bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville after studying pre-forestry at the University of Tennessee at Martin.  

“I am humbled by and appreciative of the confidence Governor Haslam and Commissioner Johnson have shown in me to lead this important forest resources agency,” said Jeter. “Tennesseans are blessed by a great abundance and variety of forest resources we have and it is an honor to lead the effort to protect and wisely manage this resource.”

He and his wife, Maureen, have two children and six grandchildren and reside in Williamson County, Tenn.