Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation commissioner David W. Salyers has appointed Brian Clifford as deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Conservation.
A long serving leader in the department, Clifford served most recently as the first ever director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation and has been recognized for his guidance in the office’s formation in 2024 as a priority of Gov. Bill Lee. Since its creation, Clifford has helped build the Office of Outdoor Recreation into one of the strongest programs of its kind in the nation, with a particular focus on expanding access to the outdoors.
Clifford has been instrumental in advancing BluewaysTN, an initiative to increase recreational waterways in Tennessee. He has played a key role in the department’s involvement with the Governor’s Annual Rural Opportunity Summit, helping highlight the importance of outdoor recreation, conservation, and natural resources as drivers of opportunity and quality of life in rural Tennessee. Clifford is also a founding member of the Tennessee Outdoor Partnership through which he has brought together public, private and nonprofit partners to support conservation, access, and outdoor recreation across the state.
Before joining TDEC, Clifford was a practicing attorney in Nashville with the firms Littler and Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis LLP. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and law degree from the University of Tennessee.
Published April 2026
