Kevin Tanner

With over 30 years of experience in leadership roles, Kevin Tanner, '95, has faced his share of challenges. He faces his biggest one in his current role as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), a role he began in 2022.

Prior to taking the helm at DBHDD, Tanner served as chief deputy at the Dawson County Sheriff's Office, county manager of Dawson and Forsyth counties, and Georgia legislator, including roles as chairman of several committees. He is also a small business owner in his hometown. Tanner said he's faced a lot of challenges in three-plus-decades of service, including managing a county during the Great Recession from 2008-10 and transportation issues in the General Assembly, but his most significant is one he currently faces: the ability to attract and retain talent.

"We're in a workforce state of emergency. We, especially in the health care space and specifically in the mental health and developmental disability population, have tremendous challenges getting people and retaining people in this field," Tanner said. "It's not just our department, it's all of our providers and others."

His solution is to be able to determine what does utopia look like, what does perfection look like and then chart a course to get there.

The Dawsonville, Georgia, native defines leadership as the ability for someone to mobilize people to work toward a common vision. He describes his leadership style as "visionary."

"I try to set a vision for the organization, and I think through what we're doing in a strategic manner and attract the best talent for each position so that we have the best opportunity to reach success," Tanner said. "I've learned over 33 years that if I surround myself with the best and the brightest in each position then my job becomes a whole lot easier."

Tanner likens a good leader to the conductor of an orchestra.

"If the conductor of an orchestra stands up in front of a very talented group and just waves their hands, the talented musicians do all the work and it's the conductor's responsibility to keep everyone in tune and make sure everyone plays their part when they're supposed to play it. Every once in a while, you have to pull somebody out and tune up their instrument, put them back in place, and on a rare occasion, replace them," Tanner said.

Being a leader is not hard if there is good talent in the orchestra. The most important attribute of being a leader is being able to recognize where in that orchestra a person needs to play. If you get someone in the wrong position and they're playing out of tune, it hurts the entire organization, Tanner said.

Tanner is inspired by several leaders who, despite varied backgrounds, all remain calm under duress. He lists Winston Churchill, former Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston, ‘76, and John Cagle, retired GBI special agent in charge and former UNG professor of criminal justice.

"I admire leaders who remain calm under intense pressure, challenges and scrutiny. They set a vision, and even when there's a lot of naysayers, they know what they're doing is right, and they continue to work toward that vision,” Tanner said. “Great leaders are not always recognized when they’re alive and serving. Sometimes we look back in history and see how truly great a leader was by what they were able to accomplish. Sometimes the future tells the story.”