Jim Henry

Who is Jim Henry?

James M. Henry, generally known as Jim Henry, was minority leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1981 to 1986, and a 2002 candidate for the Republican Party nomination for governor of Tennessee, losing the primary election to U.S. Representative Van Hilleary, who in turn lost the subsequent general election to Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen. Henry is currently in business providing services to the developmentally disabled and troubled children as President and CEO of Omni Visions, Inc. In December 2010, Tennessee governor-elect Bill Haslam chose Henry to be the commissioner of the new state department of Intellectual Disabilities.

As a young man, Henry attended Hiwassee College and the University of Tennessee and served with distinction in the Vietnam War. Subsequent to his military service, Henry became active in veterans' issues and in the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also became politically active, first serving as a city councilman in Kingston, Tennessee in 1971 at the age of 26.

Henry remained on the Kingston Council for two years and then served as mayor of that city until 1978. He also became active in Republican circles, rising relatively rapidly to be chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.