Department of Children's Services
Dr. Viola Miller, Commissioner
Central Office Directory
DCS Guide Documents I DCS Guide Pages I Annual Reports I DCS Employment Opportunities
Commissioner Dr. Viola Miller was appointed Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services on December 23, 2003. Miller, a veteran child welfare administrator, is the former Secretary of Families and Children for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Dr. Miller has dedicated much of her professional career to serving children and youth in various capacities. Prior to her tenure as Secretary for Families and Children, she served as the Dean of Murray State University's Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach. She also has an academic background in special education and speech therapy. Dr. Miller received a B. A. in speech and hearing therapy from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA in 1964 and an M. S. in speech-pathology and audiology from Tulane University in 1966. She later completed a residency at Duke University Medical Center in medical speech pathology. In 1978, she earned an Ed .D in special education from the University of Alabama.
Commissioner • office: 615-741-9699 • fax: 615-532-8079
Deputy Commissioner for Protection and Permanency Bonnie Hommrich was appointed to this position in March of 2004. Prior to this she served as an Executive Administrative Assistant to Commissioner Miller. Hommrich has over 35 years experience in child welfare, serving in numerous capacities such as front line case manager, supervisor, training specialist, assistant manager, district manager, deputy commissioner and as the Principal Assistant to the Secretary for the Cabinet for Families and Children in Kentucky. Hommrich has most recently been leading the Brian A. Implementation Team in the development of the Path to Excellence. As Deputy Commissioner, Hommrich supervises the Office of Child Safety, Child Permanency, Family and Child Well-Being, Regional Support and Juvenile Justice. Hommrich earned her MSSW from Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville.
Deputy Commissioner, Protection and Permanency • office: 615-532-3591 • fax: 615-532-8079
Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Training Tom Riche was appointed to this position in June of 2004. Prior to this he served most recently as the Director of Community Literacy Programs with NashvilleREAD. He was previously employed by the U.S. Census Bureau as Local Census Office Manager, responsible for Middle and East Tennessee. Riche also served in the U.S. Air Force for 28 years where he directed educational and training programs, drug and alcohol prevention and counseling programs, EEO programs, and prepared the Air Forces Affirmative Action Plan and served as an Administrative and Personnel Officer and commanded units (squadrons) with as many as 1000 men and women. Riche earned an MA in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University and he holds an MBA from Webster University.
Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Training • office: 615-532-5554 • fax: 615-532-8079
Deputy Commissioner of Juvenile Justice Steve Hornsby was appointed to this position in March 2005. Hornsby served as general sessions and juvenile court judge of Hardeman County for 13 years where he served on the Executive Committee of Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges for six years. In 2003, Governor Phil Bredesen appointed Hornsby to the Children’s Cabinet, an executive-level work group that focuses on improving services to children in Tennessee. Hornsby retired from the bench in 2003 and became special assistant to Commissioner Miller and, in 2004, Miller named him general counsel for the department. Hornsby was named the 2004 recipient of the McCain-Abernathy Award at the annual Joint Conference of the Juvenile Court Services. This award honors current or former judges who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to improving the juvenile court system and achieving better outcomes for children.
Deputy Commissioner, Juvenile Justice • office: 615-741-8303 • fax: 615-253-1717
Executive Director of Performance and Quality Improvement Tom Riss was appointed to this position in October 2007. Prior to this he served as an Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and a member of the DCS legislative liaison team. He has also served as the Regional Administrator for the DCS Davidson County Region. Riss began his employment with the State of Tennessee in 1992 as a juvenile probation officer with the Department of Youth Development. He has also served with DCS as a juvenile probation supervisor, child protective services supervisor, assessment team leader, and team coordinator for DCS in Wilson County. He has also worked as a curriculum writer for the University of Tennessee Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS). Riss earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN.
Executive Director, Performance & Quality Improvement • office: 615-532-3440 • fax: 615-253-7868
