A board member of Gov. Bill Lee’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, who filed to create a business three days before the governor’s 2019 inauguration, has landed $4.7 million in state contracts with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, contract records show.
Aubrey Elizabeth “Libby” Phillips is the owner and founder of right-of-way mowing contractor, Big Al Mowing. Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Furman University, and prior to 2019 had no apparent experience in the mowing industry.
Lee appointed Phillips — whose family contributed significantly to his 2018 gubernatorial bid — to the board of directors of his newly-formed Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in 2020. All six members of the volunteer board of directors for the office contributed to Lee’s 2018 campaign.
Lawmakers approved a $1.2 million budget for the faith-based office this year, the first direct allocation of tax dollars the office has received since its creation in 2019. The board is made up of Lee’s political allies and has final authority to approve how that funding is spent.
Phillips and her family members donated a total of $8,250 to Lee’s gubernatorial campaign in 2018. Her grandfather, insurance executive Al Phillips, and his wife, Jere, each maxed out personal donations toward Lee’s initial gubernatorial campaign, contributing a total of $8,000, while Phillips contributed $250.
Hellbound and Down 