Advisory Board
The seven-member board is composed of five members appointed by Tennessee’s governor, one esteemed faculty, and one selected student.
The board submits recommendations to the University of Tennessee System president on campus-level strategic plans and operating budgets. The president then brings these recommendations to the Board of Trustees, the governing body of the UT System, prior to a vote on any annual operating budget or strategic plan.
Membership
The advisory board meets twice a semester. Agendas and minutes are linked after membership information.
The public members of the Advisory Board are Allen Carter of Niota, Alexia Poe of Nashville, Tomi Robb of Knoxville, Tom Smith of Nashville, and John Tickle of Bristol.
The Faculty Senate appointed Elisabeth Schussler, a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, to serve as the faculty appointee to the board.
The student appointee is Dante Grayson, fourth-year undergraduate student and Student Body President. Student Selection Process
Allen Carter
A 1995 graduate in finance, Carter is the owner of Athens Insurance Agency in McMinn County, one of the largest individually owned insurance agencies in the Southeast. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Pat Summitt Foundation and the University of Tennessee President’s Council.
Alexia Poe
A 1995 graduate of the College of Communication and Information, Poe is a public relations consultant for the Nashville-based Ingram Group. She has previously served as director of communications for former Governor Bill Haslam, director of economic and community development for Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, and communications director for former Senator Lamar Alexander.
Todd Skelton
A 2010 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences and 2014 graduate of the College of Law and Haslam College of Business (dual JD/MBA), Skelton is the General Counsel of HF Capital, the Haslam family office in Knoxville. He previously served as Deputy Counsel for former Governor Bill Haslam and was a corporate attorney at Baker Donelson.
Tom Smith
A 1980 graduate of the Haslam College of Business, Smith is chairman of Smith/Hallemann Partners, a Nashville-based real estate firm. He was previously chairman of Mission Property Company and served on the board of directors of Highwoods Properties Inc.
John Tickle
A 1965 graduate of what is now the Tickle College of Engineering, Tickle is chairman of Strongwell Corporation, a manufacturing firm based in Bristol, Virginia. He was president of the company from 1972 to 2011 and served on UT’s Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2018.
Elisabeth Schussler
Schussler is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at UT. She was hired by UT in 2009 to become the inaugural Director of Biology Teaching and Learning in the Division of Biology, a position she held for 10 years. She has served UT in numerous ways, including as the 2022-2023 Faculty Senate President. She earned her BS in General Biology from Vanderbilt University and her PhD in Plant Biology from Louisiana State University.
Dante Grayson
Grayson is a fourth-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, where his focus lies in public administration. He was elected president of the Student Government Association for the 2024–25 academic year, and he serves as a campus ambassador and a member of the Student Alumni Associates. He has been honored with the Philip A. Scheurer Leadership Award and recognized on the Dean’s List for his academic performance.