Leadership Team

Dewayne Scott is Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

His appointment began in March 2021. He started his career with the Kroger Company where he was an executive for 15 years. After leaving Kroger, Scott spent 17 years as President/CEO and co-founder of SRS, Inc., a company he co-founded in 2001. Under his leadership, SRS completed over 300 contracts as a prime contractor for 15 different federal agencies. In 2008, SRS was the 250th fastest growing company in the United States.

Since 2019, Scott has focused on sharing his corporate and entrepreneurial experience with individuals and businesses through his consulting firm, TDS & Associates. The firm provides business development and strategic planning, back-office services, and leadership development training both for individuals and companies.

Scott attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville and graduated with a degree in Economics and Business Management. 

Buddy Hoskinson is a Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

His appointment began in November 2024. Hoskinson brings over three decades of experience in workforce development and higher education to the Volunteer State. His extensive career in education spans public universities, as well as community and career colleges.

In state government, Hoskinson has served under three Kentucky governors across multiple Cabinets. His skills include policy development, implementation, and compliance at both the state and federal levels.

Hoskinson led Kentucky’s Office of Unemployment Insurance for many years, including during the 2020 pandemic. He also served as the Chairperson of the Unemployment Insurance Commission in Kentucky.

Tia Xixis is the Chief of Staff for Commissioner Deniece Thomas.

Xixis started with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in 2017 as a Legislative Liaison.

In her role as Chief of Staff, Xixis oversees the Department’s legislative affairs, special projects, and external relations. She also provides executive oversight of the boards, commissions, and councils that are associated with the Department. 

Briana Moore is the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s first-ever Chief Strategy Officer, appointed in May 2023. Moore oversees the development of key workforce strategies for the agency, including a comprehensive rural workforce development plan. She also manages the Tennessee Office of Reentry (TOOR).

Moore is responsible for conceptualizing and formulating strategic initiatives that further advance the agency’s vision and mission, as well as ensuring that the day-to-day activities of the agency support those initiatives. She works with the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and the other members of the Senior Leadership team to devise short- and long-term objectives that align with the agency's vision and mission.

Moore received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Science degree in Management from Trevecca Nazarene University. She is a graduate of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI), the Tennessee Government Management Institute (TGMI), and the Accelerated Leadership Institute (ALI). 

Andy Summar is the Chief Financial Officer for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Summar is a certified public accountant with over fifteen years of experience in the accounting and auditing fields. Summar takes pride in providing customer service to management, and he specializes in financial accounting, process improvement, and internal controls.  

Summar is a strong believer in teamwork and continuous process improvement.  He previously worked as a staff auditor and senior auditor with the Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Tennessee State Audit and most recently as a Department Controller with the Department of Finance Administration.  

A devout UT fan, Summar loves anything Tennessee and bleeds orange.  He also enjoys spending time with his family, sports and exercising. He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where he earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting.

Fred Gaston is the Human Resources Assistant Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Having held this position since March 2013, Gaston works in partnership with the Senior Executive team to define human resource strategic initiatives and assists the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Chief of Staff with senior executive team performance and development. Gaston is also responsible for employee relations, recruitment, hiring and retention, class compensation, and leadership development within the department. Prior to working for the state, he was Director of Human Resources for the City of LaVergne.

Gaston is a current member of the Tennessee Government Leadership Council (TGLC) and a graduate of TGLC Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI), LEAD Tennessee, and the Human Resources Master’s Program. He is also a member of the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA-HR) and the Tennessee Personnel Management Association (TPMA), which are the international and state associations of human resource personnel members working in the public sector. He served as the 2018 TPMA Human Resources Conference Program Chair.

Gaston holds a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Arts from Lipscomb University. He is a certified Rule 31 Mediator, an DOHR SLS Facilitator, and an International Personnel Management Association Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-SCP) in public sector human resources.

Chris Cannon is the Chief Communications Officer for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

His appointment began in January 2016. Before coming to Tennessee State Government, Cannon spent 20 years as a television news anchor and reporter.

Cannon began his television news career in Binghamton, New York. Over the next two decades, he made stops at TV stations in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Evansville, Indiana, before coming to Nashville in 2004.

At the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Cannon manages the agency’s external and internal communications. He oversees media relations, video and podcast production, social media, multiple websites, graphic design, and paid outreach for program promotion.

Ryan Allen is the Assistant Commissioner for the Workforce Insights, Research and Reporting Engine Division (WIRED) of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

WIRED was created with the idea to turn workforce data into workforce information that provides key insights for stakeholders across Tennessee.

Allen has been with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development since 2003. Before moving to WIRED in 2019, he worked in several different areas within the Employment Security and Workforce Services Divisions.

Allen attended Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Jay Baker is the Assistant Commissioner for the Adult Education Division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Baker started with the Department in July 2015 as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Adult Education Division and was later promoted to Assistant Administrator, then to Assistant Commissioner in September 2020.

Before joining the Department, Baker was a site manager and an instructor for the Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s adult education program in Nashville.

Baker is currently a member of the Tennessee Workforce Development Board. He is also a member of the National Association of State Directors of Adult Education.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, with a degree in psychology, Baker also holds a Master of Education degree from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. He is working toward his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Memphis.

Rusty Felts is the Assistant Commissioner for the Employment Security Division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Felts has worked for the Department for more than two decades. He started out as a part-time interviewer for the Unemployment Insurance Program and worked his way up through Training, Supervision, and Management. He later became the Director of Claims Operations and was then promoted to Assistant Commissioner in 2016.

Troy Haley is Administrator of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He has served in various roles with the Bureau since 2007, most recently as Legal Services Director and Legislative Liaison.

Haley is a native of east Nashville and is a graduate of Stratford High School. He received his undergraduate degree from David Lipscomb College, a master’s degree from Tennessee State University, and law degree from the University of Memphis. He has been licensed to practice law in Tennessee since 1992 and has been a Rule 31 Mediator since 2008. Prior to his state service, he worked as staff counsel for an insurance company and was in private practice.

Tom Herrod is the Assistant Commissioner for the Workplace Regulations and Compliance Division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Herrod started his career with Tennessee state government in 2010 when he joined the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) as an Industrial Hygienist 1. He worked his way to Industrial Hygienist Supervisor in 2014. The following year Herrod was named Manager of Public Sector, a position he held until he was appointed Assistant Commissioner in May 2019.

Before joining the state of Tennessee, Herrod was a Chemical Engineer with the DuPont Company for 36 years.

Herrod earned a Bachelor of Engineering in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Larry Hunt is the Assistant Commissioner of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or TOSHA.

Hunt started his career with TOSHA in June 1998 and served as an Industrial Hygienist, Hygienist Supervisor, Hygienist Manager, and Assistant Administrator before becoming Assistant Commissioner. 

As a Compliance Officer, Hunt conducted 500 occupational health inspections. During his time with TOSHA, he has volunteered to assist in recovery operations at the World Trade Center site and with Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi.

Hunt retired from the Tennessee Air National Guard in 2014 following 24 years as an Aeromedical Evacuation Medical Technician and Operations Officer. He is a graduate of Tennessee State University.