Oxford attorney and Union native Rhea Tannehill has been installed as the 120th President of the Mississippi Bar Association. In this role, he will oversee nearly 9,000 attorneys across the state during his one-year term.
Tannehill has practiced law in Oxford since earning his law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1996. In 2003, he founded the Tannehill Law Firm, and a year later, partnered with Jay Carmean to establish Tannehill Carmean, focusing on injury law, criminal defense, estate planning, and real estate. He also serves as Municipal Court Judge in Sardis.
A Union High School graduate, Tannehill got his first exposure to the legal world through a mock trial team led by local attorney Rex Gordon. He comes from a family of community involvement—his parents, Jack and Jane Tannehill, owned The Union Appeal and later The Newton County Appeal. Rhea worked in the family newspaper business throughout his youth.
Tannehill also recently retired from the Mississippi Army National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel after 28 years of service. Notably, he was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as Brigade Trial Counsel and earned the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Action Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Global War on Terrorism Medal.
Active in civic life, Tannehill has served on numerous boards and is a founding member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford. He and his wife of 30 years, Robyn McKenzie Tannehill—currently serving her third term as Oxford’s mayor—have three children: Maggie, Jack, and Molly Catherine.
Tannehill’s commitment to service spans law, military, and community, making him a natural fit for the state’s top legal leadership position.
