Tracy McLemore
“A Life Distilled with Purpose”
Born on December 26, 1965, in Huntsville, Alabama, Tracy McLemore came into the world in the shadow of rockets. His father worked for NASA, part of the wave of scientists and engineers who helped shape the American space program. The McLemore home was a busy one, filled with family, wisdom, craftsmanship, and a deep sense of purpose, but also no shortage of mischief and fun.
Though born in Alabama, Tracy’s early years were spent just across the border in Tennessee. He was raised in Fayetteville, a small town in Lincoln County (home of “The Process”). It was a place where roots grew deep, and where even today, nearly his entire extended family still resides. At the age of eight, a big change came. His father retired, and the family relocated to Florida, where Tracy would spend the rest of his childhood and early teenage years. From the farmland of Tennessee to the flatlands and sunshine of Florida, he found himself adjusting quickly. He played football and baseball, tore up sand dunes on his first dirt bike, and worked beside his father fixing boat motors and tinkering with engines. His dad had a mechanical mind and passed down those skills proudly, skills that would shape both his hobbies and work ethic. His teen jobs reflected that small-town grit: cutting meat at the local market, driving a 1949 Farmall tractor on his uncle's farm, and working on engines with his dad. Even as a boy, he was learning to take responsibility, fix what was broken, and put in a hard day’s work. But there was also a mischievous streak, like the times he’d sneak sips of Canadian Mist or Southern Comfort from the bottles that his dad kept “hidden,” topping them off with water to avoid detection. When high school came, he moved back to Tennessee and continued to grow as a scholar and athlete. A teacher in ninth grade told him something that stuck for the rest of his life: “You could be a writer.” It was a simple comment, but it lit a spark that would smolder for years.
After high school, Tracy pursued a career in laboratory medicine, a field he’s now been in for over 38 years. He earned degrees from Columbia State and Middle Tennessee State University. In 2000, he completed his MBA, quickly moving into laboratory management and administration, where he began to shape the systems behind the science. He didn’t just settle for traditional roles. At two of his positions, Tracy worked in research labs dedicated to discovering new antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, efforts that quietly supported global public health. His drive was never about recognition; it was about doing the work that mattered. In 2015, Tracy moved to Nashville, Tennessee, cementing a lifelong connection to the state that raised him. Today, he serves as the CLIA Director for the State of Tennessee, overseeing the inspection and certification of all medical laboratories across the state. It's a role of precision, accountability, and leadership, everything he’s honed over nearly four decades.
Whiskey, however, became a more recent chapter in Tracy's journey. Having grown up just miles from both the Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel distilleries, whiskey wasn’t just a drink; it was part of the landscape of home. In 2023, after years of knowing Colonel Craig Duncan, Tracy finally found the time to enroll in classes at Whiskey University (WU). He dove in headfirst, and what began as curiosity quickly became a calling. By 2025, he had earned his Master of Arts in Whiskey, and today he holds the titles of Master Whiskey Taster and Chartered Master Bourbon Taster. More than just a student of whiskey, Tracy is now the National Whiskey Founders Chairman for WU, writing and curating stories of individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the world of Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and Canadian Whisky. It’s a full-circle moment for a guy who once dreamed of writing, and now does so with purpose, passion, and historical reverence.
As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Bourbon Brigade, he’s helped shape the community around American spirits, bringing a sense of authenticity, respect, and storytelling to the craft. His current collection boasts around 255 bottles, including gems like a 17-year-old George Dickel, a Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Silver Label (traveler’s), and a bold 126-proof Booker’s Reserve. His current tastes lean toward wheated bourbons, though he still has a soft spot for a good, spicy rye. On cool nights, you might find him by a fire, sipping a Manhattan, a Rocky Patel Robusto in hand.
Through every chapter, Tracy has remained rooted in family. He’s been married to the former Kimberly Burgess for nearly 30 years, their anniversary coming up in 2026. Together, they’ve raised four children and now enjoy time with their eight grandchildren. Family remains his greatest treasure, the foundation on which everything else rests.
In many ways, Tracy McLemore embodies the complexity of the American South: a man of science with a love of the written word, a whiskey connoisseur who has worked with both his hands and his mind, a writer, a leader, a storyteller, and a tireless learner. He is an SEC fan in the most eclectic sense: born in Alabama, raised in Tennessee and Florida, a Gators fan with ties to Vanderbilt, and surrounded by Auburn alumni. It’s complicated—and perfectly fitting.