Gov. Bill Lee has named Tony Mathews as the interim commissioner of the state Human Services Department. He takes over from Danielle Barnes, who has left state government for the private sector.

“Tony Mathews has served the Department of Human Services well and I thank him for his willingness to take on this important role,” Lee said in a statement. “Human Services provides critical programs to Tennessee families in need and we’re committed to maintaining an excellent standard of customer service during this transition period.”

Mathews has served as the agency’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer since May 2017. He previously worked for private health insurance companies Aetna and Cigna after stints with TennCare and the Department of Environment and Conservation.