Department of Correction
Derrick D. Schofield, Commissioner

Gerald "Mac" McAllister, Superintendent

Gerald McAllister began his career with the Tennessee Department of Correction in March 1985 as a Correctional Officer at DeBerry Correctional Institute (DCI). He has held positions of Treatment Officer, Corporal, Treatment Supervisor, Training Specialist, and has also served in various acting positions throughout his career to include Administrative Lieutenant and Human Resource Manager.

In 1996, he left TDOC to work for Rutherford County Sheriff's Department as a Detention Center Deputy. During his employment with Rutherford County, Mr. McAllister advanced through the ranks serving as Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Assistant Jail Administrator before returning to TDOC in 1998.

In 2005, he assumed the duties of Training Specialist at DeBerry Special Needs Facility where he reengineered staff development and career educational processes. In 2006, Mr. McAllister was commissioned by the Assistant Commissioner of Operations to design and develop a rapid tactical response team which would be based at DeBerry Special Needs Facility. This team would later be known as the Phantom Knights. The design concept eventually became the model for reengineering statewide tactical programs and managing emergency resources.

On August 25, 2011, Mr. McAllister was transferred from DeBerry Special Needs Facility to the Office of Investigations and Compliance where he was tasked with restructuring all statewide tactical programs and emergency response protocols for the department. He also assisted in the design and development of the Special Operations Unit based in Nashville. Under his leadership, the department witnessed a historical transformation in tactical preparedness and emergency resource integration.

As the Special Operations Tactical Coordinator, Mr. McAllister oversaw the statewide development of eight Facility Based Tactical Squads, three Auxiliary Tactical Squads, eleven Correctional Emergency Response Teams, and the full time rapid response team known as "Strike Force One."

Mr. McAllister graduated from the Tennessee Department of Correction's Leaders Envisioning and Advancing Direction (LEAD) program in 2009. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Organizational Development, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Bethel University.