Chris Benson was appointed Chief Procurement Officer for the Tennessee Department of General Services’ Central Procurement Office, effective November 1, 2026. In this role, he leads the office responsible for establishing statewide procurement policies, managing statewide contracts, and supporting State agencies in purchasing goods and services.

Benson has more than 12 years of experience in Tennessee State Government, with expertise in procurement, contract management, vendor relations, enterprise technology governance, and operational efficiency. He began his State career with the Central Procurement Office in 2014, serving as a Category Specialist and Sourcing Account Specialist supporting the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

In 2017, Benson joined the Tennessee Department of Military as Procurement Director, where he led procurement operations for the Tennessee Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and other divisions. He oversaw requisitions, purchase orders, invoicing, asset and contract management, vendor management, and records management. He also led the department’s transition from paper-based to fully digital procurement processes.

Benson joined Strategic Technology Solutions within the Department of Finance and Administration in 2019 as Director of Business Operations. He was promoted to Deputy Director of Enterprise Governance and Administration in 2024. In that role, he oversaw enterprise technology procurement, contract sourcing and management, vendor relations, asset management, federal grant administration, and invoice validation. He established the STS Vendor Management Office to strengthen supplier accountability and performance oversight, and the STS Grants Management Team, which administers more than 300 grant contracts for local governments and higher education institutions.

Benson holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a graduate of LEAD Tennessee and the Tennessee Government Executive Institute. He is a strong advocate for professional development and leadership excellence.