My Representative

Gary Odom
District 55 - Part of Davidson County

Biography

Gary Odom is the Democratic Leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He has served Nashville House District 55 in the 95th through 106th General Assemblies. He is married to Rachel Odom and has two grown children. He and Rachel are members of St. George's Episcopal Church in Nashville.

He has been the executive director of the Tennessee Optometric Association for more than 25 years, served as a special investigator for the state Attorney General’s Office, was a Metro Nashville councilmember for 12 years and was a faculty member at Aquinas Junior College for three years. He earned his B.S. degree from Eastern Tennessee State University in 1973 and a Masters from Eastern Kentucky University in 1975.

Honored by the Tennessee Primary Care Association
Honored by the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants
Honored by the Tennessee Physical Therapists Association
Honored twice by the Tennessee Nurses Association
Legislator of the Year Award by the National Rural Health Association in 1996.
He was the first State Legislator in the country to receive this honor.
Received Tennessee Environmental Council's 1998 Outstanding Conservation Advocate Award
Legislator of the year by the Environmental Action Fund
Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association
Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Environmental Council
Legislator of the year by the National Wildlife Federation
Received Honors from the Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence
Legislator of the year twice by the Tennessee Chiropractic Association
Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Psychological Association
Statesman of the year by the Tennessee Optometric Association
Certificate of Appreciation by the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities
2004 Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Assembly of Surgical Technologists
2004 Legislator of the year by the American Association of Surgical Technologists