UT Board of Trustees to Consider Appointing Interim President

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees will meet Sept. 25 at 11:45 a.m. EDT/10:45 a.m. CDT to consider appointing an interim president.

UT President Joe DiPietro announced Monday that he planned to retire from active service Nov. 21. The newly formed board of trustees will consider appointing UT Knoxville alumnus and Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd to serve as the interim president for up to 24 months or until the effective date of appointment of a new president following an external search. If appointed interim president, Boyd has declined to be paid a salary.

Members of the public can preregister to address the board regarding the proposed appointment during a 30-minute comment period at the Sept. 25 meeting at the Visitors Center on the UT Knoxville campus.

UT Board Chair John Compton said appointing an interim president gives the trustees time to plan for the University’s future. He and the other trustees, since beginning their work Aug. 1, have individually been meeting with and listening to key stakeholders, including legislators, faculty, campus leadership and alumni.

“These conversations have revealed that it is necessary to take a step back and evaluate the strategic needs of each campus and institute and support required from the UT System Administration in order to raise the bar on our overall success,” said Compton.

The board is passionate about elevating UT, he said.

“Our students, faculty, research partners and citizens all expect us to continually improve. Our campuses and institutes, individually, and the UT system, collectively, have many areas of pride. Yet, with any success, one always needs to raise the bar for achievement,” Compton said. “This is a chance for us to take our time—perhaps 12 to 24 months—to reflect on the input we’ve been given, gather additional input, and objectively lay out our future plans and leadership needs,” Compton said.

Boyd, who ran for governor this year, is the founder and chairman of Radio Systems Corp., with more than 700 employees, offices in six countries and the brands PetSafe, Invisible Fence and SportDOG.

He was the architect for “Drive to 55” and tnAchieves and served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s adviser for higher education. He also served as chair of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Randy is a Tennessean, a UT alumnus, and a hugely successful business person. He has invested in the University, personally and financially,” Compton said. “The University of Tennessee is more than its network of campuses and institutes across the state. We have a presence in every county across this state. During the past 18 months, Randy has visited every county at least two times, he knows the landscape, he has relationships and understands the needs of our state.”

Through his philanthropy, Boyd also supports the UT Knoxville Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research and the UT Institute of Agriculture’s College of Veterinary Medicine Boyd Venture Challenge seed grant program for student entrepreneurs.

“He’s a true public servant, and he will work every day to make sure the University of Tennessee System is meeting the needs of our state,” Compton said.

Tags: Featured, Governor Bill Haslam, Interim Appointments, Joe DiPietro, John Compton, Randy Boyd, UT Board of Trustees, UT Presidents