General Thomas B. Dean brings over 30 years of prosecutorial experience to his role as District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District, which serves Sumner County, Tennessee. A proud native of Sumner County, General Dean has deep personal and professional roots in the community he now leads.  After graduating from Hendersonville High School in 1980, he began his academic journey at Volunteer State Community College. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Middle Tennessee State University, followed by his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1988.

In 1995, General Dean was hired by longtime District Attorney Ray Whitley as an Assistant District Attorney, launching what would become a distinguished three-decade career in public service. In 2025, he was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve as District Attorney General.  General Dean considers Sumner County not just the place where he works, but the place he proudly calls home. It is where he was raised, educated, and chose to raise his own family. Serving as District Attorney is, in his own words, “a dream come true.”