Tony Niknejad

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Tony Niknejad

( Tennessee,  )

Stones River Group

Subjects: All Subjects

Introduction

Tony is an attorney and policy expert with extensive experience in legislative strategy, budget development, and executive branch operations. He has shaped major state initiatives and advised senior state government leaders across a range of high-impact issues. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Policy Director for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, where he developed landmark proposals in education, tax, healthcare, and workforce development. His leadership produced several major legislative wins, including the Tennessee Works Tax Act, the Education Savings Account program, and the TennCare III waiver. His role in the administration expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic when he led federal and multi-state relations, while also managing the distribution of more than $6 billion in federal relief through the state's Financial Stimulus Accountability Group.

Client List  Biography 
Clients

1) Acadia Healthcare

2) ACT Education Corp.

3) Advantage Capital

4) Alliance Healthcare Services, Inc.

5) Aunt Bertha, a Public Benefit Corporation d/b/a findhelp

6) BlackRock Funds Services Group, LLC

7) Blount Partnership

8) BusPatrol America LLC

9) Campaign for Great Public Schools dba as City Fund Action

10) CE Broker d/b/a Propelus

11) CFKAA Holdings, LLC

12) CG of Tennessee LLC

13) CMH Services Inc.

14) Cognia

15) Communities In Schools of Tennessee

16) Critical Nurse Staffing, LLC

17) Curriculum Associates, LLC

18) DELTA DENTAL OF TN

19) DGA Residential LLC

20) Energy Systems Group, LLC

21) Ernst & Young LLP

22) Esper Regulatory Technologies Inc.

23) Fisk University

24) Geographic Solutions, Inc

25) Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

26) Greater Nashville Regional Council

27) INGRAM INDUSTRIES, INC.

28) Jackson Madison County School System

29) Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee

30) Kleo, Inc. d/b/a ClassWallet

31) Knox County

32) Knoxville Zoological Gardens Inc.

33) Koch Government Affairs, LLC and Affiliates

34) Maryville College

35) Maximus, Inc.

36) Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Inc

37) Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

38) Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

39) Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

40) Nareit

41) Nashville Soccer Holdings, LLC

42) Opportunity Tennessee

43) PathGroup

44) PayIt, LLC

45) Pilot Travel Centers LLC

46) Possip, Inc.

47) PowerSchool Group LLC

48) Salesforce, Inc.

49) SAS Institute Inc.

50) SH Advisors LLC

51) SME Education Foundation

52) Southeastern University, Inc

53) Southern College of Optometry

54) STV Incorporated

55) SWVP NYards Services Company LLC

56) Tech901

57) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education

58) Tennessee Charter School Center

59) The United Company

60) Tremco CPG Inc.

61) Uptown Property Holdings LLC

62) WASTE MANAGEMENT

63) Wolf River Harbor Holdings, LLC

64) YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South

Biography

Tony Niknejad is a distinguished policy strategist and government relations expert, skilled in the areas of legislative advocacy, fiscal management, and strategic planning. Tony assists clients with navigating the Tennessee political landscape, orchestrating policy and legislative initiatives, and steering comprehensive advocacy and public engagement campaigns. From 2019 to 2023, he was the Policy Director for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, serving as a key advisor and leader for the Governor's Cabinet and leading many of the Administration's major policy reforms. As policy director, Tony also played a critical role in Governor Lee's successful 2018 campaign and post-election transition. Tony spearheaded key policy initiatives across a wide span, specializing in education, workforce, tax and healthcare policy.


  • He was a driving force behind multiple Administration legislative initiatives, including the Education Savings Account Act of 2019, the Literacy Success Act of 2021, the Tennessee Strong Families Initiative, and the Tennessee Works Tax Act of 2023.

  • Tony also led federal and multi-state relations through the COVID pandemic, coordinating the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, which managed the allocation of over $6 billion in federal funds received through the CARES and American Rescue Plan Acts.

  • Prior to his work with Governor Lee, Tony served as state director for a school choice advocacy organization, overseeing Tennessee PAC activities and lobbying efforts from 2013 to 2017.

  • Before that, he served as a legislative staffer in the Tennessee State Senate during the 107th General Assembly.

  • Tony is a member of the State Bar of Tennessee and graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2011. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia, where he double-majored in Economics and Philosophy. He was selected for the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders program, Nashville Class of 2019.

Last Updated: July 16, 2026