Rutherford County Commissioner Brad Turner has been appointed to the cabinet of Gov.-elect Bill Lee.

Lee announced three appointments Thursday, Jan. 17 to his cabinet for the Department of Health, the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Department of General Services.

Turner was named as the new head of the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

“We have been committed to building a team that represents each Grand Division and I am pleased to add appointees who represent West, Middle and East Tennessee at the table,” said Lee. “I look forward to working together to implement a conservative vision for Tennessee.”

Turner, of Smyrna, currently serves as the director of client services at HealthStream, Inc. Turner has worked with the State Interagency Coordinating Council to serve infants and toddlers with disabilities through early intervention programming connected to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

He also works closely with special needs volunteer organizations including Project Help and Rising Above Ministries. Turner has served as a Rutherford County Commissioner for District 10 since 2010.

The Governor-elect named the other appointments to his cabinet Thursday.

Dr. Lisa Piercey, of Gibson County, currently serves as the executive vice president of West Tennessee Healthcare. In this role she oversees a roster of hospitals with an emphasis on rural hospitals in Bolivar, Camden, Milan, Dyersburg and Martin. Dr. Piercey’s clinical background is in pediatrics with a specialization in child abuse pediatrics. She serves as the Medical Director for the Madison County Child Advocacy Center and is also on faculty at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Christi Branscom, of Knox County, currently serves as the chief operating officer and general counsel at Partners Development. Previously, Branscom served as the chief operating officer and deputy mayor for the City of Knoxville, where she was the first female in Knoxville history to serve in this role. She spearheaded a number of complex projects, including the transfer of ownership of Lakeshore Park from the state to the city, negotiating the Regal Entertainment Group move to the South Waterfront and overseeing construction of the city’s Public Works Service Complex. She has also served the City of Knoxville as the senior director of public works and was also the first female in Knoxville history to serve in this role. Branscom founded Grace Construction in 2003 which specializes in custom home construction.