Representative Vance Dennis is a lifelong resident of Hardin County. After graduating from Hardin County High School, Vance earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He stayed in Knoxville to earn his J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law.
Vance then returned to Hardin County and opened the law office of McGee and Dennis, where he and his partner, Carma Dennis McGee, help people with a wide variety of legal problems.
Representative Dennis and his wife, Ashley, live in the Olivet community in Hardin County with their two young sons, Walker and William. Ashley is the Chief Financial Officer at The Hardin County Bank. Vance is an active member and past president of the Savannah Lions Club, and is on the Board of Directors at Hardin County Skills, which provides housing and work programs for individuals with mental disabilities.
Representative Dennis was first elected to represent the 71st House district in the Tennessee General Assembly in 2008. He has served on the House Health Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. In 2009, Representative Dennis was appointed as Chairman of the Civil Practice Subcommittee, and since 2010 he has served as Vice-Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee and Secretary of the Judiciary Committee. He has also served as Chairman of the Bill Review committee for the House Republican Caucus, and as the Caucus parliamentarian.
Representative Dennis has been awarded many honors and recognitions during his service in the Tennessee General Assembly:
- 2011 Legislator of the Year – Southwest Tennessee Development District
- 2011 Community Service Award – Tennessee Hospital Association
- 2011 Representative of the Year – Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
- 2012 Guardian of Small Business Award – National Federation of Independent Business/Tennessee
- 2012 Healthcare Advocate Award – The Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation
Representative Dennis has also been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the National Federation of Independent Business in recent years.
Representative Dennis hopes to continue his work toward making our State the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family. He intends to concentrate his efforts on creating high-quality jobs for the rural areas of this state, ensuring access to safe and affordable healthcare for all Tennesseans, and reducing taxes and the red tape and over-regulation that restricts economic growth in this our State.