Adams & Reese Expands Government Relations Bench in Memphis with New Public Policy Advisor

Adams & Reese announces the addition of Ted Townsend as a Public Policy Advisor in the firm's Memphis office. Townsend joins the firm's Intersection of Business & Government (IBG) practice, where he will advise clients on economic development incentives, public funding strategies, government relations, and public-private partnerships.

Townsend brings 20 years of leadership across state government, federal boards, national policy institutions, and private-sector organizations. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber from December 2022 to April 2026. During his time there, he led the recruitment of xAI's $12 billion Gigafactory of Compute, the supercomputer facility that made Memphis a national focal point for artificial intelligence and data center investment. He also led the recruitment of Ford's $5.6 billion BlueOval City project, the largest single private investment in Tennessee history.

Under Townsend's leadership, the Chamber's team won a $389 million Federal Highway Administration grant for the I-55 bridge, the largest infrastructure grant in Tennessee history, and helped secure more than $400 million in public funding. In 2025, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives named the Greater Memphis Chamber "Chamber of the Year," and Memphis Magazine named Townsend its CEO of the Year.

“The Greater Memphis Chamber saw great success under Ted’s leadership, and he was at the table for some of the most significant economic development wins this region has ever seen,” said Clarence Wilbon, Adams & Reese Memphis Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee. “Clients facing site selection, incentive negotiations, or complex public funding questions will benefit from his insight and the trust he has built with leaders at every level of government. We are proud to welcome him to the team.”

Prior to the Chamber, Townsend spent nearly seven years in the governor's administration at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, where he was promoted three times, rising to Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure, the department announced more than 1,100 projects that committed 155,000 new jobs and more than $32 billion in capital investment, and Tennessee was named State of the Year for economic development in back-to-back years. The governor also made Townsend his proxy to the Tennessee State Workforce Development Board, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, where he voted on grant allocations and policy priorities across eight southeastern states.

Townsend also served as the University of Memphis' first Chief Economic Development and Government Relations Officer, helping secure nearly $90 million in public funding, including for the expansion of the university's STEM and nursing programs. Additionally, he brings private sector experience as founder and CEO of Averi LLC and co-founder and COO of arGentis Pharmaceuticals, roles that give him a business owner's perspective on what clients need from government.

“Working in public service, leading business and policy organizations, and running my own company have shown me how government decisions get made and what companies need to move a project forward,” said Ted Townsend. “I'm excited to bring that experience and my network across the public and private sectors to the Adams & Reese IBG team and to help our clients get major economic development projects accomplished.”

Townsend earned his Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership from the University of Memphis and completed the Education for Ministry program at the University of the South at Sewanee. He is a member of the Council on Competitiveness and was selected for the National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers' Outreach and Engagement Committee. He serves on the board of New Memphis, and previously served as Chairman of the Board for LifeScience Tennessee, as President of the Economic Club of Memphis, and as Vice Chair of the Council of State Governments Fiscal and Economic Development Public Policy Committee. He has been named to the Memphis Business Journal Power 100 list of the Most Powerful Business Leaders in Memphis in multiple years, and he is a graduate of Leadership Memphis and Leadership Tennessee.