Bob Rolfe

Bob has served as TNECD commissioner commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development since March 2017. The department is responsible for recruiting new businesses and industry to the state, supporting existing companies, expanding economic opportunities across rural Tennessee and boosting the state’s overall economic prosperity. During Rolfe’s tenure, TNECD has landed roughly 600 projects, which represent more than 103,500 job commitments and $30.5 billion in capital investment. Of those projects, over 25 percent were the result of foreign direct investment.

Under Rolfe’s leadership, Tennessee has secured a number of record-breaking wins. In 2021, he led TNECD’s recruitment efforts to land Tennessee’s fourth automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) when Ford Motor Company selected Tennessee to build one of the largest battery and vehicle manufacturing campuses in the U.S. Ford and SK Innovation will invest $5.6 billion, the largest single capital investment in state history, to build a 3,600-acre mega campus in West Tennessee. Additionally in 2021, Oracle, the world’s largest data management company, announced it will locate new tech operations in Nashville. At 8,500 jobs, the Oracle project is the single biggest jobs announcement in Tennessee’s history.