Governor changes leadership at DCS

CEO of End Slavery Tennessee will take over agency that removes children from abusive homes and finds foster care for them

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – Governor Bill Lee has appointed a new Commissioner for the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) in Tennessee.

Margie Quinn will follow Jennifer Nichols in the job, beginning in September.

“Jennifer is a committed public servant who has faithfully served Tennesseans since the beginning of my administration, and her leadership has been crucial in our work to ensure every child in our state has a loving, permanent home,” said Lee. “As we continue these efforts, I am confident that Margie’s experience in both the nonprofit and law enforcement sectors will benefit Tennessee children and their families.”

Quinn is a former TBI Special Agent who is currently leading the nonprofit End Slavery Tennessee, which focuses on ending human trafficking.

The Governor says she has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience.

Nichols led DCS since 2019, creating ChildStat to document juvenile cases and triage teams for serious child abuse cases.

But the department came under a lot of criticism during her tenure over staffing shortages and a toxic work environment.

Lawmakers were outraged last year when a video surfaced of children taken from their homes, sleeping on the floor at DCS, because their weren’t foster homes waiting for them.

This was a leadership change for the department, Nichols did not resign.