Public service was a family tradition as his father had served as mayor of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in the early 1950s.

In the spring of 1999, before Tennyson's reelection to a second term, Durham experienced its largest drop in crime since 1971, when the city began keeping computerized statistics.

Tennyson served as the Executive Vice President of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties from 1995 until 2013, when he became a Chief Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

After leaving active duty, he continued his service as a member of US Naval Reserve, ultimately retiring in 1996 as a Captain.

Tennyson is married to Jennifer and together they have three children; two sons and a daughter, all of whom were educated in Durham Public Schools.