2020-2021 Administration and Members
Chair
James Williams, Associate Professor, Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism Management
Vice Chairs
Ryessia Jones Russell, Assistant Director, Haslam College of Business
JaNay’ Turner, Coordinator for Diversity Recruitment
Members
Talisha L. Adams, Director of the Office of Academic Inclusive Initiatives
Derek Alderman, Professor, Department of Geography, Co-Director of Tourism RESET
DeOnna Anderson-Washington, Clinical Instructor, College of Nursing
Thomas Andrew da Silva Zeigler, Undergraduate Student, Political Science-Laws and Courts Concentration
Stefanie Benjamin, Assistant Professor, Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Co-Director of Tourism RESET
Robert Bland, Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Kaia Boyd, Cinema Studies Student
Jennifer Charles, Athletics, Volleyball Volunteer Assistant Coach
Sharon Couch, Coordinator for Student Life and Diversity and Inclusion for the Herbert College of Agriculture
Trent Dickerson, Student, Industrial Engineering
Heather Ervin, Athletics, Director of Player Relations and Administration
Jessica Francis, Athletics, Learning Specialist
Yasja Hemmings, Hall Director, University Housing
Trey Hobson, Library Supervisor II, John C. Hodges Library
Lyndsey Hornbuckle, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport Studies
Joann Jeter, Assistant Director, Center for Career Development
David Kline, Lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences
Celisse Lambert, Assistant Director of Admissions, College of Law
W. Marcia Lane, Administrative Specialist II, Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism Management
Thura Mack, Professor, John C. Hodges Library
Marcia McAllister-Spurgeon, Clinical Faculty, College of Nursing
Kathleen Modica-Forster, Academic Coach, Division of Student Success
DeMauri Mumphrey, Undergraduate Student, College of Architecture and Design
Devendra Potnis, Associate Professor, School of Information Sciences
Nadia Powell, Resident Assistant, University Housing
Izetta Slade, Senior Director, Human Resources
Maddie Stephens, Public Relations Specialist, Office of Communications and Marketing
Jennifer Sullivan, Athletics, Assistant Coach
Andre Temple, UT Institute for Public Service, Center for Industrial Services
Lexie Walker, Enrollment Management, UTK Visitors Center
Antoinette Williams, Community Supporter, Knox County Schools
LaTrice Wright, Doctoral Student in Counseling Psychology
Ex-Officio Members
- Mary Lucal, Representing Vice Chancellor for Human Resources ♦
- TBD, President of Faculty Senate ♦
- Erin Darby, Chair of the Council for Diversity and Interculturalism ♦
- TBD, Chair of the Commission for Women ♦
- Mitsunori Misawa, Co-Chair of the Commission for LGBT People ♦
- TBD, Representative of Graduate Student Senate ♦
Note: ♦ denotes Voting Ex-officio members
Responsibilities
Commission member
As a member of the commission, you are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities.
- Serve on one committee OR serve as Chair/Co-Chair of a committee.
- Provide input to the committee.
- Assist with the work on the agenda set forth by committee and/or commission.
- Attend monthly commission meetings.
- Serve as a community liaison for the campus and Knoxville area African American community.
- Bring pertinent issues forth to the Commission.
- Assist with events as necessary (greeting, handing out lunches, set up/take down, etc.)
Committee Chair or Co-Chair
The Commission has four committees: Faculty/Staff/Student Concerns, Bylaws, Awards, and Publicity & Community Outreach. As the chair or co-chair of one of these committees, you are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities.
- Set a goal for the year.
- Communicate with and/or hold meetings with committee to achieve goal set forth.
- Provide updates on committee work to full commission at meetings.
- Provide year-end report on goal.