Tennessee Department of Treasury · David H. Lillard, Jr., State Treasurer

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Boards and Commissions

Chairs of Excellence Trust

Chairs of Excellence Trust is chaired by
Tennessee State Treasurer David H. Lillard, Jr.

University Professor and Student

The Chairs of Excellence Trust is a permanent trust fund authorized in 1984 to further the cause of higher education in Tennessee. The funding of the program is provided through contributions made by a private donor and a matching amount by the state, thus creating a chair.

Income from the chair is used to offset the cost of retaining a nationally or regionally recognized

scholar
 at a state college or university who teaches in a specified academic area. The program is open to all state four-year colleges and universities, and the UT Space Institute.

A chair is authorized to spend 4% of the 3-year average market value of the chair. However, the corpus cannot be spent. Accordingly, only dividends, interests, and accumulated gains may be spent. Since 1984, a total of one hundred (100) chairs have been created.

The Treasury Investments Division is responsible for managing the assets of the Chairs of Excellence Trust.

Board Meetings and Materials

Upcoming Meetings

Recent Meetings

Event date: 4/28/2026 9:00 AM Export event
Cassidy Denton
/ Categories: Boards and Commissions, Board of Claims

Board of Claims Meeting

The Tennessee Board of Claims will meet at 9:00 a.m. (Central Time) on April 28, 2026.

Meeting Date and Time
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CT

Location
Cordell Hull Building
Volunteer Conference Center, 2nd Floor
425 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in these proceedings and require an accommodation should contact Rodney Escobar, Director of Claims and Risk Management, no less than two (2) days prior to the scheduled meeting date to allow time for the Treasury Department to arrange for an accommodation. You may contact the Board of Claims at 502 Deaderick Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243, (615) 741-2734, or Rodney Escobar by email at Rodney.Escobar@tn.gov.

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Documents to download

Chairs of Excellence Trust Board Members

The Chairs of Excellence Trust is comprised of the State Treasurer who serves as Chair, and seven (7) ex officio members.

Ex-Officio Members

Member Title/Department Location
David H. Lillard, Jr. (Chairman)
 State Treasurer Nashville, TN
Bill Lee Governor Nashville, TN
Jason Mumpower Comptroller of the Treasury Nashville, TN
Tre Hargett
 Secretary of State
 Nashville, TN
Jim Bryson Commissioner, Finance & Administration Nashville, TN
Randy Boyd President, University of Tennessee Nashville, TN
Dr. Steven Gentile Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission Nashville, TN

Audit Committee

Member Title/Department Location
Randy Boyd
 President, University of Tennessee Nashville, TN
Jim Bryson Commissioner, Finance & Administration Nashville, TN
Tre Hargett
 Secretary of State
 Nashville, TN

Contact Us

Have questions about the Chairs of Excellence Trust?  We're here to help!

 (615) 253-2265

Jaye.Chavis@tn.gov

Mailing Address

State of Tennessee
Chairs of Excellence Trust
Andrew Jackson Building, 15th Floor
502 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0248