Scrubbed & Redubbed: Governor Lee’s Diversity Business Office Gets A Makeover

Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Governor Lee’s Office has rebranded its version of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to come into compliance with a new state law signed by his own hand and a federal Executive Order by President Trump.

The Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise was created in 2003 via an Executive Order for Diversity Contracting by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen who believed “diversity businesses” were not receiving fair and equal opportunities to participate in the State’s procurement of goods and services. 

The purpose of the office is to attract and expand opportunities for businesses owned by women, minorities, service-disabled veterans, and others with disabilities wanting to do business with state departments and agencies.

Following the passage of the Dismantling DEI Departments Act, the office’s website has now been scrubbed of most references to “diverse” or “diversity”.

The Act, signed by the Governor in early May, requires the dismantling of DEI departments in all governmental and public institutions and ends discriminatory hiring practices within the government. By putting his signature to it, Gov. Lee clearly expressed support for the measure, otherwise he would have let the bill pass into law without a signature or vetoed had he disapproved.

Rebranded earlier this year as Go-DBE, the division within the Governor’s Office now advertises itself as the certification agency for “small and underutilized for-profit business enterprises.” 

Its revamped mission statement states the agency serves as the central point of contact to help these “small and underutilized businesses” complete “successfully” in State procurement activities and contract awards.

According to archived versions of the website, the full name of the office was removed and replaced with the current acronym in the first few days of February, approximately the same time the Dismantling DEI Departments Act was introduced in both chambers of the state legislature.

Around the time of the name change, staff titles were also overhauled. The Diversity Team Lead became simply Team Lead, and “Diversity” was dropped from the Business Liaison positions. 

Go-DBE Program Director Kim Henry served as a coordinator for the TN Department of General Service’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Council, which was established in 2021, though evidence of its existence also appears to have been decently scrubbed.

The office’s 2024 annual report records just over $1.2 billion in spending with diversity business enterprises, a roughly 10% increase from 2023’s $1.1 billion, a record-breaking amount at the time.

It also boasts of a “remarkable” 66.1% increase on this diversity spend over the past five years and the certification or recertification of 754 businesses as “minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, persons with disabilities-owned, or small business enterprises.”

Neither Gov. Lee’s office nor a spokesperson for the Office of General Services, which houses Go-DBE, was responsive to requests for comment from The Chattanooga Times Free Press. 

Questions remain as to why the Governor, who signed legislation dismantling DEI and has been vocally supportive of President Trump’s agenda which includes ending DEI programs, has been fostering policies and agencies which appear hypocritical to his espoused values and political positions. 

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.