Greg Vital

Greg Vital is a Republican politician and businessman who has represented Tennessee House District 29 since his special election victory on September 14, 2021. He replaced the late Mike Carter and has resided in Hamilton County for 50 years, primarily in the Ooltewah-Georgetown area. The district encompasses much of eastern Hamilton County, including the Ooltewah and Georgetown communities.

Vital is a co-founder of Morning Pointe Senior Living, which he established 25 years ago alongside Franklin Farrow. The company operates more than 35 senior care and Alzheimer's care facilities across five states in the Mid-South region, with corporate headquarters in Ooltewah. The company employs more than 1,600 people nationally, including over 400 in Hamilton County, with six facilities located in Hamilton County and four within his legislative district.

Beyond his business ventures, Vital has established a prominent record of community service and conservation work. He is the current chairman of the Land Trust for Tennessee and former chairman of the National Parks Conservation Association. He has served on the boards of the Friends of Moccasin Bend National Park, the Tennessee Aquarium, and First Horizon Bank. Additionally, he held a six-year term on the Erlanger Board of Trustees.

Vital has been a strong advocate for community colleges and vocational education, serving as a board member of the Foundation for the College System of Tennessee and co-chairing the First in the Family program at Chattanooga State for nine years. The Greg A. Vital Center for Natural Resources and Conservation at Cleveland State Community College was established and funded by him to support the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Program.

In 2023, Vital supported a resolution to expel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules, which was widely characterized as unprecedented.

Education

Vital holds a business degree from Southern Adventist University.

Political Experience

Vital was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives on September 14, 2021, in a special election following Mike Carter's death in May 2021. He announced his candidacy on June 14, 2021, and won with 3,884 votes against Democratic challenger DeAngelo Jelks, who received 964 votes. In the 2022 general election, he ran unopposed and received 15,659 votes.

He has received recognition for his political involvement, including the Hamilton County Republican Party's "Chairman's Award" and the Tennessee Republican Party's "Statesman of the Year" for Tennessee's Third District.