Damon T. Hininger has served as special advisor to CoreCivic since January 2026, following more than 16 years as the company’s president and CEO. During his tenure as CEO, Hininger led one of the nation’s largest providers of government solutions, overseeing the company’s strategic transformation and growth while fostering a culture centered on service, innovation, and operational excellence.

Hininger began his CoreCivic career in 1992 as a correctional officer at the Leavenworth Detention Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was promoted to training manager at the Central Arizona Detention Center in 1994. That same year, he was recognized as both the facility’s Employee of the Year and CoreCivic’s Companywide Employee of the Year.

Today, Hininger continues to advise CoreCivic’s executive leadership on strategic initiatives, government relations, and long-term business priorities.

Beyond CoreCivic, Hininger is actively involved in civic and business leadership. He serves on the board of directors of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Tennessee Leadership Business Council.

Hininger’s leadership has been recognized nationally throughout his career. In 2011, Forbes named him one of the “Top 20 Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under.” In 2022, he received the E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award from the American Correctional Association, the organization’s highest honor recognizing lifetime leadership and contributions to the corrections profession.

A native of Kansas, Hininger earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a master of business administration from the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University. In 2010, he was honored as the Massey Graduate School’s Alumnus of the Year.