Long before he became Tennessee's Commissioner of the Department of Disability and Aging, Brad Turner was a student-athlete at Trevecca, where he played baseball for four years and majored in history and political science, graduating in 1998.
His career initially led him into an advancement role at Trevecca, fundraising for major projects including the Waggoner Library. He went on to enter public service as a Rutherford County commissioner. In 2024, Governor Bill Lee's administration invited him to lead the Department of Disability and Aging. Unbeknownst to those who hired him, Turner was uniquely qualified to guide the department with the knowledge and empathy that come from personal experience.
His daughter, Kinsley, was born with cerebral palsy after suffering a stroke before birth. She is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair, obstacles that transformed how Turner understands disability, family and the potential of all people to thrive.
"When they interviewed me, they had no idea about Kinsley. God had already orchestrated this years before," Turner said. "God was preparing me for this role much like he prepared the Israelites in the wilderness. The Lord had to get me to walk in the desert to understand the position I was about to assume."
As he has led the department for the last two years, his daughter’s experiences and hopes for the future have given him perspective on supporting the Tennesseans he is charged with helping.
“It’s a gift for me to have the understanding of a father. I ask, ‘what does my daughter want to do? Does she have dreams that she wants to chase?’ If she can't get to them, I ask, ‘why can't she get to them?’” Turner explained. “It's really about us listening with the intent to understand.”
Today, his department serves nearly two million Tennesseans through programs that aim to combat food insecurity, expand accessible transportation, provide communication technology for nonverbal individuals and much more.
"I don't believe your disability defines your ability to do something. We want people to live the life they've envisioned for themselves,” Turner said.
Looking back, he sees how Trevecca shaped far more than his education. He found himself in small classrooms where professors invested personally in their students. This intentionality and Trevecca’s commitment to creating servant leaders has continued to be foundational to his calling.
“God has humbled me to better understand that real leadership requires you to be a servant first. You cannot lead people if you're not willing to serve,” Turner said. “You cannot empower people if you're not willing to serve beside them.”
Turner’s connection to Trevecca has continued in ways that mutually benefit the University and the people of Tennessee. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2020 and helped guide Trevecca through the challenges of higher education during the pandemic. His department has also partnered with Trevecca to prepare teachers to better serve students with disabilities.
For Turner, those partnerships represent the same mission that began on Trevecca's campus more than three decades ago.
"I owe Trevecca my service because Trevecca poured into me," Turner said. "I want students to know you can be a Christ follower, serve in leadership and never compromise who God has called you to be."
His faith, life experience and public service have combined to allow Turner to live out faithful leadership and help all Tennesseans experience hope and a bright future.