Greer Tidwell

Deputy Commissioner

Bureau of Conservation

Greer Tidwell was appointed TDEC’s deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Conservation in July 2022. His responsibilities in leading the bureau include: Tennessee State Parks, Division of Archaeology, Division of Natural Areas, Recreation Resources Division, Facilities & Land Management, Interpretive Programs, Strategic Initiatives, and Marketing.

Greer has served several organizations in leadership positions, including as a board member and president of Radnor Lake State Park, board member and treasurer of the National River Network, board member of the National Wildlife Federation, and chairman of the Tennessee Conservation League, which is now the Tennessee Wildlife Federation.

Greer has a sterling reputation as an environmental leader and mentor, working in both the public and private sectors. He came to TDEC from the engineering and construction firm Brown and Caldwell, where he was vice president and senior director for client services.

As a mentor, he established certified classrooms at Bridgestone plants, which have hosted more than 20,000 student visitors. He is largely known for his work at Bridgestone Americas, leading the tire manufacturing company into certification for ISO 14001 standards for environmental management and LEED standards for energy management, as well as Wildlife Habitat Council certification for onsite wildlife habitats.

This is Greer’s second experience working at TDEC. He was general counsel for the department in 1995-97, managing an office representing the state in environmental regulation and legal support for Tennessee State Parks. He has a long resume of personal environmental achievement, but he is known widely for his influence in connecting others to nature. He has built relationships with local governments, statewide agencies, and national wildlife and water conservation groups.

A native of Nashville, Greer enjoys fishing, hunting, horse riding, paddling, and hiking with family and friends. He received a law degree from Vanderbilt University and bachelor’s degrees from both Baylor and Tennessee Tech. He and his wife, Marian, have three grown children, Brittainy, Hunter, and Rose.