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

Event date: 10/7/2026 1:00 PM Export event
Amanda Gargus
/ Categories: Boards and Commissions, Chairs of Excellence

Chairs of Excellence Endowment Fund Board of Trustees Meeting

The Chairs of Excellence Endowment Fund Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

Meeting Date and Time
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. CT

Location
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower
Knoxville Room, 3rd Floor
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

At the meeting, the Board of Trustees will consider the items listed on its agenda.

The attached guidelines indicate how a public comment may be made at the Board meeting. 

Individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in these proceedings and require an accommodation, should contact the Treasury Department’s Financial Empowerment Division no less than two (2) days prior to the scheduled meeting to allow time for the Treasury Department to arrange for an accommodation. The Financial Empowerment Division may be contacted at (615) 253-2265 or by email at Jaye.Chavis@tn.gov.

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Documents to download

Recent Meetings

Meeting Date and Time
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 10:45 a.m. CT

Location
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower
Tennessee Room 2, 3rd Floor
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Documents to download

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Meeting Date and Time
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 1:45 p.m. CT

Location
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower
Nashville Room, 3rd Floor
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Documents to download

Read more

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