Jeremy Harrell
Jeremy Harrell was appointed on August 23, 2024 by Governor Bill Lee for a six-year term representing Middle Tennessee.
Jeremy is the founder, president & chief executive officer of The Adoption Project. He is an adoptive parent and advocate for adoption and foster care.
A seasoned strategist, Jeremy has deep ties to thought leaders and policymakers across the state of Tennessee and the United States. His extensive network of top influencers, broad policy knowledge and keen instincts have put him squarely at the center of several critical campaigns and initiatives over the last decades. Before establishing The Adoption Project, Jeremy was a co-founder of a highly successful public affairs firm in Nashville.
Jeremy began his career building grassroots political coalitions for the Tennessee Victory operation in 2006. In 2008, Jeremy successfully ran the record-breaking statewide senate campaign for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. Jeremy was then tapped to serve as deputy campaign manager and political director for Governor Bill Haslam’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
As a member of the Haslam Administration, Jeremy oversaw the appointment process for boards and commissions, including the Tennessee Board of Regents, and contributed to several key policy initiatives.
In 2014, Jeremy became campaign manager for Haslam’s re-election campaign, which resulted in Haslam securing the largest margin of victory of any governor in the country. That campaign set a record for the highest percentage of the vote won by a statewide candidate in modern Tennessee history. Following Haslam’s reelection, Jeremy served as the founder and executive director of a non-profit advocacy organization focused on K-12 education reform.
Jeremy and his wife, Michelle, were honored as 2022 Angels in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). They were nominated by U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (Tennessee).
Jeremy received his B.A. in History & Political Science with a minor in Economics & Finance from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. In addition to the Tennessee Board of Regents, he serves on the boards of The Adoption Project, Harlenwood Foundation, and KLSR Foundation, and was previously a member of the Tennessee Historical Commission. In 2024, he was honored to chair the 50th Tennessee Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. Michelle and Jeremy live in Eagleville with their son Wesley and daughters Ruby & Rosie.