Clarence H. Carter 

Clarence H. Carter was appointed to serve as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services in January 2021. Mr. Carter leads the state’s second largest agency. The Department is responsible for administering programs and services to support the overall well-being of individuals and families through employment assistance, vocational training, protective services and programs to meet essential needs.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Carter served on the federal level as Director of the Office of Family Assistance and Acting Director of the Office of Community Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While there, Mr. Carter led the administration of seven federal programs including the $16.5 billion Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

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Plenary Session Title: Growing Capacity, Decreasing Dependency: A Model for Change