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: 3/30/2026 10:00 AM Export event

TNFLC Executive Committee Board of Directors Meeting

The TNFLC Executive Committee Board of Directors will meet on March 30, 2026.

Meeting Date and Time
Monday, March 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (CT)

Location
Tennessee State Capitol
Executive Conference Room, Ground Floor
600 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in these proceedings and require an accommodation should contact Bill Parker, Director of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission no fewer 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 Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission at (615) 532-5892, or Bill Parker by email at Bill.Parker@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