Dennis Stephen is the retired chief operating officer, life insurance operations, for Tennessee Farmers Insurance Companies in Columbia. Stephen graduated from Nashville’s Lipscomb University with a bachelor’s degree in business and started his insurance career in 1971 at Confederation Life Insurance Company in Toronto, Canada.

He joined Tennessee Farmers Life Insurance Company as its first Home Office employee in May 1973, was later promoted to a director and then a vice president in March 1987. He became COO in July 1994 before retiring at the end 2015. He continues to serve as management consultant for Tennessee Farmers Insurance Companies.

His civic involvement includes serving four years as board chairman for Columbia Academy, a private Christian school that serves pre-school through 12^th grade. He served as a member of the school’s board of directors for 15 years and on its executive committee eight years.