Carolyn Lazenby

Executive Director

Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance

Board for Licensing Contractors

500 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 110

Nashville, TN 37243-1150

Appointed as the Executive Director of the Board for Licensing Contractors on January 1, 2005; employed with the Board from November, 1989 until present. Prior to the Contractors Board, first employed with the State of Tennessee on July 1, 1981 with the Department of Health and also with the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Currently, serves as 1st Vice President with the National Association of State Contractor Licensing Agencies (NASCLA), an agency which offers information and resources from other states requiring contractor regulation.

Native of Dickson county and married to Robert Lazenby with three (3) children.

The Board for Licensing Contractors mission is to assure quality and fair construction practices exist in all phases of the industry in order to protect the safety and welfare, through the regulation of contracting.  This is accomplished by the means of examination, financial review, experience, and disciplinary action.

The Board was originally established in 1931 and today remains a bridge between the consumers and contractors of Tennessee. Licensing offers the consumers of the State a mechanism to voice their concerns.   The Board currently regulates licensing at various levels:  contractors (projects $25,000 or more); home improvement (projects from $3,000 to $24,999); limited licensed electricians (LLE) and limited licensed plumbers (LLP) for projects less than $25,000. In addition, prelicensed exam course providers must be approved by the Board.

In January, 2005, the Board in conjunction with the Consumer Affairs Division implemented CHAMP (Contractor/Homeowner Accountability and Mediation Program). The law only allows the Board to take action against a contractor for license violations of the law; therefore, the CHAMP program provides a means to help consumers with their contractor complaints.