The state Capitol community is mourning the sudden passing of Mike Dedmon, the deputy budget director in the Department of Finance and Adminstration. The affable Dedmon recently celebrated 30 years of service, which spanned five governors and nine finance commissioners.

“This breaks my heart,” former Finance Commissioner Stuart McWhorter said in a tweet. “The State of TN lost an extremely valuable civil servant. Mike was one of the brightest individuals I knew who humbly did an important job behind the scenes.”