Communities
Chancellor’s Associates
The Chancellor’s Associates program brings together local business and community leaders to learn more about the university, provide feedback to university administration on an array of important topics, and serve as key advocates and supporters to enhance the university’s reputation in the greater-Knoxville area and beyond.
The Chancellor’s Associates program began in 1972, and since that time, the university and the community have greatly benefited from the relationships developed through this program.
Leadership
John Brock (’93, ’96) is the Chair of the program for the 2023-24 academic year. John is an attorney and Partner at Brock Shipe Klenk PLC.
Randy Fields is the chair-elect of the program and will assume the role of chair on July 1, 2024. Randy is the Director of Business Development at Hickory Construction.
Samyah Jubran (’91, ’95) is the immediate-past chair of the program. Samyah is the Assistant District Attorney General for the Knox County District Attorney General Office.
Membership
Chancellor’s Associates members serve three-year terms. Nominations are accepted each year, and approximately 25 new members are selected to join each new member class by a committee of current members and university administrators.
The Chancellor’s Associates meet one morning per month during the academic year. University representation at each meeting includes the chancellor, vice chancellors, deans, and UT students and administrators.
John Brock (’93, ’96) – Chair
Randy Fields – Chair-Elect
Samyah Jubran (’91, ’95) – Immediate Past Chair
Eric Abelquist (’08, ’14)
UCOR
Technical, Engineering and Nuclear Safety Manager
Robert Baird
FirstBank
Senior Vice President
Jeffrey (Jeff) Cheek
Countryside Tire & Auto Service
Owner
Helen Harb (’84)
Pureline Printing
President/Owner/Founder
Mark Heinz (’94)
Dewhirst Properties
Architect & Developer
Sterling Henton (’92)
Rev It Up LLC
President & CEO
John Hoffman
UT Retiree
Tom Hughes (’91)
The Hughes Properties – Realty Executives
Owner/Realtor
Michael Kohl (’96, ’99)
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Senior Vice President
Robert Loggins
Bush Brothers & Co
Manager of Recruiting & Organizational Development
Steve McGrew
Cornerstone of Recovery
CEO & CFO
Sam Mishu
M&M Development Co
President & CEO
Denetria Moore
Girl Talk, Inc
Founder, Executive Director
Susana Navarro
Navarro Research
President & CEO
Matt Ryerson
United Way of Greater Knoxville
President & CEO
Robert Threlkeld
Threlkeld Homes – Keller Williams Realty
Principal
Chad Tindell (’87)
Lacy, Price & Wagner, P.C.
Attorney
John Winemiller (’00)
Merchant & Gould
Attorney, Shareholder, Office Managing Partner
Mandi Benedict (’16)
Knox County
Constituent Services Director
Ben Bentley
Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation
Executive Director & CEO
Rick Blackburn
Blackburn Development Group
President
Becca Boyd
SmartBank
Executive Vice President/Chief People Officer
David Chism
Thompson Cancer Center
Medical Doctor-Clinical Research
Kelly Drummond
City of Knoxville
Director of Human Resources
Randy Fields
Hickory Construction
Director of Business Development
Buzz Goss (’87)
Marble Alley Development
President
Albert Harb (’74, ’79)
Hodges, Doughty & Carson, PLLC Attorneys
Attorney
Michael Honeycutt (’04)
Realty Trust Group, LLC
Senior Vice President/Principal
Jonaaron Jones (’13, ’15)
Beehive Advanced Manufacturing
President & General Manager
Nada Kuchinic (’86)
Design Innovation Architects
Vice President of Finance & Director of Marketing
Brian Lee (’92)
Blackberry Farm
General Manager
Anne McKinney
McKinney & Tillman, P.C.
Attorney, Founder & Managing Shareholder
Harold Middlebrook
Retired Pastor & Community Leader
Bev Miller (`06)
American Heart Association
Executive Director
Quineka Moten (’11, ’13)
The Change Center
Director of Programs & Outreach
J. Brandon Ross, II
Turner Homes
Community Sales Manager
Jorge Sanabria
Expoquip, Inc
Owner
James Shamiyeh
University of Tennessee Medical Center
Senior Vice President & Chief Quality Officer
David Smoak
Town of Farragut
Town Administrator
Ashley Stowe (’12)
Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (Y-12 National Security Complex)
University Partnerships Program Manager
Graham Taylor (’07, ’15, ’16)
T&T Scientific
President & Chief Technology Officer
Nancy Voith (’78)
CRA, Inc.
Managing Director
Kristy Altman (’99)
MEDIC Regional Blood Center
Director of Communications
Ned Babb (’89)
Butler, Vines & Babb Attorneys at Law
Managing Partner, Attorney
Russ Betcher
Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic
M.D.
Tammi Campbell
Knox County Schools
Ombudsman/Principal of Austin East High School
John Cherry (’84)
Leadership Knoxville
VP/Director, Flagship Program
John (Bill) Coley
Hodges, Doughty & Carson, PLLC
Managing Member
Chris Davis (’94)
Knox County Election Commission
Administrator of Elections
Rick Dover (’77)
Dover Signature Properties
President & Managing Director
John Elder (’03)
Paine Tarter & Bickers, LLP
Partner
Scott Elmore (’87, ’91)
Elmore, Stone & Caffey, PLLC
Attorney
Kim Henry (’88, ’94)
Axiom Wealth Management
Director of Operations
Ben Kowalski
Cirrus Aircraft
Sr. Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing
Jim LaPinska
Northwestern Mutual/Axiom Wealth Management
Managing Director/Founding Partner
Chris McAdoo
Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
Mendy McMurtry (’95)
SanMar, Inc
Strategic Account Manager, Southeast US – Sporting Goods Channel
Meghan Millwood (’11)
ORAU
VP/Human Resources
LaToya Myles
NOAA Air Resources Laboratory
Acting Deputy Director
Jake Ogle
Five Oaks Development/Scrambled Jakes
Developer
Spencer Rakes
Pilot Flying J
Vice President Operations Support
John Sergent
First Horizon Bank
Sr. Vice President, Retail Banking
Ashley Speas
Knox County Schools/West High School
Executive Principal
Linda Sullivan (’93, ’94)
Community Leader and Volunteer
Whitney Terry (’09)
East Tennessee Spine & Sport Physical Therapy
Chief Operating Officer
David Wells (’94)
Emerald Youth Foundation
Vice President – Administration
Kelly Absher (’05)
Hydr865: IV Infusion & Weight Loss
Owner/Operator
Moody Altamimi
ORNL
Director, Office of Research Excellence
Allen Bell (’85)
Retired (Pricewaterhouse Coopers)
Partner & Private Company Services Leader for Southern California
Mona Blanton-Kitts (86,
’86)
The McNabb Center
CEO
Ryan Childress (’09)
Stryker
Southeastern Regional Manager
Jon Clark (’01)
Brighton Developers, LLC
President
Nicki Collett
The Tennessee Theatre/Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation
Director of Development & Partnerships
Adam Cook
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
VP for Institutional Development
Kevin Frazier (’89, ’92)
Frazier’s Carpet One
President
Benjamin Jordan (’01, ’03)
Centrus Energy Corporation
Business Development Manager
Rebekah Justice (’02, ’05)
City of Knoxville – Mayor’s Executive Team
Deputy Economic Development Officer – Urban Design
Amye King (’93)
Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Sr. Law Clerk, Judge Robert Montgomery
Lina Kornmeyer Evans
Bank of America – Local Markets Organization
Sr. Vice President – Knoxville Market Executive
Charles Lomax (’06)
Knoxville Area Urban League
CEO
Misty Long
Siemens Healthineers
Clinical Marketing Medical Liaison
Lauren Longmire (’09)
Knoxville Chamber of Commerce
Director of Regional Enhancement
Beau Massey (’08)
Collier Restaurant Group
President
Matt Metz
Yee Haw Brewing Co.
Director, Brewing Operations
Dan Myers (’93)
Knoxville Leadership Foundation
Vice President – Advancement
Drew Rowan
Zoo Knoxville
Chief Operating Officer
Oliver Smith (’87)
Oliver Smith Realty
President
Chad Speck (’04)
Allegiant Management LLC – A3 Athletics
Founder/President of Football Operations; Of Counsel at Brock, Shipe, Klenk PLC
Darris Upton (’17, ’18)
United Cleanup Oak Ridge, LLC (UCOR)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs Manager
Kim Young (’82)
Pugh & Co.
Vice President