Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) on Thursday announced the appointment of David A. Golden of Hawkins County to the Judicial Nominating Commission. Mr. Golden will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of commission member Theresa Lee.
“The laws of the state of the Tennessee are only as good as the judges who interpret them. It is critical that we identify individuals of keen intellect, sound judgment and personal integrity capable of rendering prudent decisions in agreement with our laws as written,” said Lt. Governor Ramsey. “David has the mind, talent and experience to separate the wheat from the chaff to find Tennesseans the very best judges available. I am extremely pleased he has agreed to serve.”
Mr. Golden joined Eastman Chemical Company in 1995 as an attorney, eventually rising to the position of vice president, associate general counsel, and corporate secretary. Mr. Golden has responsibility for Eastman’s Law Department overseeing personnel in the United States, Europe and Asia. He also has overall responsibility for Eastman’s Ethics and Corporate Compliance program.
A native of Albany, Georgia, Mr. Golden holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Brigham Young University and a J.D. degree, also from Brigham Young University. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2012.
The Judicial Nominating Commission was created in 2009 when Lt. Governor Ramsey reformed the process for selecting Tennessee’s appellate judges to provide more transparency and accountability in the judiciary. The new commission has 17 members and is responsible for making judicial nominations to state appellate courts and the state Supreme Court when vacancies arise.
Eight of the 17 members of the commission are appointed by the speaker of the senate. Eight of the members are appointed by the speaker of the house. One member is jointly appointed by the speakers of the senate and house. As provided by statute, each of the states’ three grand divisions must be equally represented on the commission.
The commission nominates three candidates for judicial vacancies as they occur. The governor can then appoint one of the nominees as a judge or ask for a slate of three more nominees.