Christi Branscom

Board Member
Christi Branscom is a native Knoxvillian, who has recently returned home and rejoined her former firm, Partners Development, located in downtown Knoxville, as principal, general counsel and managing broker. She recently completed almost six years of service as Commissioner of the Department of General Services (DGS) for the State of Tennessee. She began her career in public service when she served as deputy to the mayor/COO for the City of Knoxville following a promotion from senior director of public works – making her the first female to be named to either position in Knoxville history. Before her tenure in public service, Branscom enjoyed a successful career as COO/general counsel and principal managing real estate broker at Partners Development for 20 years.

At DGS, Branscom made notable strides in efficient management of the department’s services, and her divisions won several industry-leading awards. She oversaw the most significant capital budget in state history, prioritizing the completion of deferred maintenance of existing facilities and reducing and reconfiguring the state’s real estate footprint. This historic budget included the Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy, the state’s largest capital budget project ever at $415 million. Several high-profile capital improvement projects were completed during Branscom’s tenure, including renovations to the historic John Sevier State Office Building, the new Tennessee State Library and Archives building and the opening of several new facilities at popular Tennessee State Parks.

In 2023, Branscom was named a Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal, and she was awarded the prestigious National Ray Walton Leadership Award by the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA). She is the first woman to be elected as president of NASCA. In 2024, Branscom was also honored with the Top Leader Award for Mid-Sized Organizations by the Tennessean’s Top Workplaces Awards. She is a Fellow of the Knoxville Bar, and a recipient of the 2014 University of Tennessee Accomplished Alumni Award. She serves on several boards, including the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and the Leadership Tennessee board of directors.

Branscom earned a Bachelor of Science in finance cum laude from the University of Tennessee and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Knoxville and a 2017 graduate of Leadership Tennessee.
OUR TEAM
MORE ABOUT SYCAMORE
Why Our Work Matters

We all want thriving communities where people enjoy good health, social and financial well-being, and the chance to make meaningful contributions to society. Most of our disagreements are about how to get there.

Sycamore plays a unique role in Tennessee’s civic life—bridging those divides by equipping decision-makers, journalists, citizens, and public and private sector leaders across the state with impartial, data-driven resources to identify, understand, and solve big challenges. We empower people to more effectively weigh—and weigh in on—the policy and institutional questions that shape our daily lives.

Tennesseans with wide-ranging perspectives rely on Sycamore’s clear and actionable insights and analyses.  Over the years, our work has informed public and private sector decisions on state and local education funding, TennCare, medical debt, philanthropy, transportation, criminal justice, the state budget, and more.

Many nonprofit organizations also rely on Sycamore for trusted, objective information about issues that affect their work—including both policy analyses and technical assistance on strategic and program planning.

No matter how you use Sycamore’s work, we are proud to help Tennesseans make informed decisions and navigate complex challenges.

What Is Public Policy?

Public policy is what governments choose to do (or not do) about public problems. It includes laws, regulations, funding priorities, and any actions of our governing institutions and the people who run them. Public policy affects almost every aspect of our lives—where we live, where we learn, where we work, and where we wander.

How We Engage

By fostering open dialogue and providing unbiased, data-driven insights, we empower Tennesseans to participate in the policy-making process and advocate for their communities. We do this by:

1. Producing and communicating relevant, accessible, impartial, and data-driven research and analysis.

2. Engaging and building strong relationships with decision-makers and stakeholders from across Tennessee.

3. Convening and equipping Tennesseans to thoughtfully assess and address public challenges.

To get involved with Sycamore’s work, subscribe to our emails, follow us on social media, attend our events, and join the ranks of our donors!

Our Origin

The Sycamore Institute grew out of the bold vision of a diverse group of community leaders from across Tennessee who saw the need for an independent, nonpartisan public policy research center focused on our state.

With the leadership and support of The Healing Trust, approximately 80 of these leaders representing a broad range of professions, political views, and personal experiences engaged in a 3-day collaborative design process. Their goal: design an organization to inform and support the creation of sound, sustainable public policy for Tennessee through reliable, accessible, and data-driven research and analysis.

The name they chose reflects the strengths of Tennessee’s native sycamore: a unique, long-lived tree with strong roots that stands tall and spreads seed far and wide.

The Sycamore Institute launched in 2015 and quickly built a reputation as a reliable source of unbiased information about issues that affect and connect Tennesseans’ health, prosperity, and public policy.