Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday celebrated the passage of one of his signature proposals this year, a measure reducing the size of the University of Tennessee's board of trustees and announced 10 appointees to the new board.
After considerable debate, House lawmakers passed the UT FOCUS Act to reduce the board from 27 to 12 members on March 29. The bill previously passed 27-3 in the Senate.
As well as reducing the size of the board, the bill Haslam signed into law Friday creates seven advisory boards for the separate UT campuses.
“We appreciate the General Assembly, especially the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Mark Norris and Rep. David Hawk, for their partnership in passing this important legislation and we’re excited to move forward with the implementation process,” Haslam said in a statement.
“This restructuring will improve the effectiveness of the board and positively impact the multiple campuses that comprise the UT system. Additionally, the advisory boards will create a culture of creativity at the campus level, and will allow each of the boards to respond nimbly to the needs of their respective institutions.”
The board will have 12 members in total, including the Commissioner of Agriculture and a non-voting student member — in additional to the 10 gubernatorial appointments.
Here are Haslam's 10 appointees.
- John Compton, former President of PepsiCo and current partner with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, also briefly CEO of Pilot Flying J, the company controlled by the Haslam family and run by Haslam's brother Jimmy Haslam
- Kara Lawson, former Lady Vol and current basketball television analyst for ESPN and the Washington Wizards
- Donnie Smith, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Tyson Foods
- Sharon Pryse, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The Trust Company
- Kim White, President and Chief Executive Officer of River City Company
- Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AutoZone
- Melvin Malone, former Special Tennessee Supreme Court Justice and current practice group leader with Butler Snow LLP
- Bill Evans, former Director and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Raja Jubran, Chief Executive Officer of Denark Construction
- Brad Lampley, former Tennessee Volunteers football player and current partner in charge of the Nashville office of Adams and Reese, LLP
All of the appointees are University of Tennessee alumni and at least two are from each grand division of the state, according to a news release from the governor's office.
A faculty member will also be appointed to the board's Academic Affairs Student Success committee.
The appointments are effective July 1, subject to confirmation by the Tennessee General Assembly.
The passage of the measure completes one of the governor's main initiatives for his last year in office.
Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615-726-5970 or by email at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie.