Speaker Beth Harwell is an esteemed alumna of Lipscomb University, where the mission is to be a Christ-centered community that prepares learners for purposeful lives. She has personified this mission by working to improve the lives of others through her years of dedicated service to the State of Tennessee.

Speaker Harwell served in the Tennessee House of Representatives for 30 years, with the last six years of her term as Tennessee’s first female speaker of the house. During her time in office, Speaker Harwell committed herself to making a difference in Tennessee through public service and was known for her willingness to collaborate with her colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

Under her leadership, the Tennessee House of Representatives balanced the budget each year without a single tax increase. She also shepherded Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Promise initiative through the house to successful adoption and implementation.

Since leaving the Tennessee General Assembly, Speaker Harwell has continued to lead in the classroom as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University and was nominated and confirmed to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors in 2020, serving through May 2024.