2021 Alumni Service Award Winner
Although Gary Rose has only lived in the Knoxville area for a few years, he has supported UT since the day he graduated.
Rose is division president at Performance Foodservice, but his career has taken him to several states throughout the United States. During this time, he served with local UT alumni chapters and as chair of the UT Alumni Board of Governors. Since settling in Knoxville, Rose has served on the UT Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Dean’s Board of Advisors for the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS).
Rose and his wife, Donna, are generous supporters of numerous UT programs, especially athletics. They frequently give to programs, attend sporting events, and speak to students about careers in food service distribution. They have supported student success, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. Endowed scholarships in both CEHHS and the Haslam College of Business have resulted from their giving.
In 2017, Rose received the UT Knoxville Accomplished Alumni Award.
