Board Member Spotlight: Dave Chaney

2026 TNSAE Board of Directors Spotlight Series

As part of our 2026 TNSAE Board of Directors Spotlight Series, we’re excited to highlight the leaders who are helping elevate and connect our association community across Tennessee. Through this series, we’ll introduce you to members of our board and share a glimpse into their professional journeys, passions, and what inspires their service.

Dave Chaney

Executive Director
Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians

Years in the association profession: 12
Years involved with TNSAE: Around 10 years
Board Position: Director

Tell us a little about your current role and the association or organization you serve.

The Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians is a professional association supporting and representing approximately 2,400 family doctors and medical students in Tennessee. I am responsible for all business operations and work with the Board of Directors to develop and implement the strategic vision. I represent the organization in legislative and other advocacy or public-facing forums and manage staff to oversee the delivery of member programs and services.

What excites you most about the work your organization is doing?

I am motivated by doing work every day that helps improve the practice environment for our physician members and supports them in delivering the best possible patient care. The work we do directly impacts healthcare in Tennessee. It is also professionally fulfilling to represent people who approach their work not as a job but as a genuine calling to serve others.

What first drew you to the association profession?

My first association experience was with the Tennessee Medical Association after I had spent the first 13 years of my career in corporate roles. The nature of the advocacy and public affairs-type work was a big part of the initial draw. I learned over time, however, that, while I still enjoy the actual work in the association space, doing something with meaning and purpose is the best part.

What has been one of the most meaningful or rewarding moments in your association career?

I am grateful to have been a part of many meaningful and rewarding moments in the past 12 years. Most recently, I would say advocating for passage of legislation that created a new medical school loan repayment incentive program for family doctors in Tennessee. The TNAFP Foundation earned the contract with the Department of Health to administer the program and is about to award its first recipients this spring (2026).

Why has TNSAE been meaningful to you professionally?

There is tremendous value in networking with professionals who share similar challenges, even in vastly different industries, learning from them, and finding new opportunities for professional growth and development. I also think it is important for us to model and experience the type of professional connectivity and community that we are trying to deliver for the members in the organizations we serve.

Tell us about your family, pets, and where you call home.

I live just north of Nashville in Gallatin (Sumner County), with my wife, Amanda, and two of my three children. My oldest child (daughter) is currently in college; we spend most of our time juggling our work and personal schedules to make sure we get her two brothers to their various practices and games. We have a dog named Deebo who is an obsessive licker.