Three UT Martin administrators complete Executive Leadership Institute -

Three UT Martin administrators have completed the University of Tennessee Executive Leadership Institute program. Dr. Nancy Buschhaus, of Palmersville, interim dean for the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences; Edie Gibson, of Martin, senior adviser to the chancellor; and Dr. Mark McCloud, of Martin, chief diversity and inclusion officer, were among 23 participants in the institute’s 2022 class. This year’s cohort is the third in the program’s history.

Buschhaus has taught in the Department of Biological Sciences for 25 years and was serving as department chair before being named interim dean in June. She previously served as undergraduate council chair for the UT Martin Faculty Senate and has participated in committee work associated with enrollment and faculty evaluation.

In addition to her role as senior advisor to the chancellor, Gibson serves as secretary to the UT Martin Advisory Board and is institutional compliance chair for the campus. During her 32-year UT Martin career, Gibson has overseen institutional research and served as senior woman administrator for intercollegiate athletics.

McCloud was appointed chief diversity and inclusion officer in spring 2021 and previously served as the director for the Office of Career Planning and Development. McCloud also serves as the director of diversity and inclusion for the Southern Association for College and Employers and received the organization’s 2020 Mosaic Award for his dedication to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

The institute is part of UT System President Emeritus Joe DiPietro’s legacy and was established to prepare internal candidates for future leadership positions and complement current succession-planning efforts within the UT System.

The institute is led by Dr. Bob Smith, senior associate for leadership and talent development to the UT president and UT Martin chancellor emeritus. The institute offers participants coaching and mentorship as well as experiential learning opportunities and access to online leadership courses to use toward creation of individualized development plans. This year’s class met six times throughout the year for multi-day sessions.

The 23 members of the 2022 class represented each UT campus and institute and oversee critical functions within the UT System. Participants must be nominated by a university president, a campus chancellor, an institute’s vice president, the UT Foundation president or a UT System vice president.

Other 2022 institute class members were:

Evan Beech, UT Foundation Inc., director of specialized giving;
Doug Bohner, UT Institute of Agriculture, human resource officer;
Brian Daniels, UT System administration, chief audit and compliance officer;
Ellie Dougherty, UT System administration, director of marketing;
Vicki Farnsworth, UT Chattanooga, chief information officer;
Teresa Hartnett, UT Health Science Center, associate dean for finance and administration in the College of Medicine;
Adam Heller, UT Foundation, Inc., chief financial officer and treasurer;
Pam Jeffreys, UT System administration, risk management director;
Mark La Branche, special assistant to UT System President Randy Boyd;
Mónica Lebrón, UT Knoxville, deputy athletics director for championship resources;
Stacy Lightfoot, UT Chattanooga, vice chancellor for diversity and engagement;
Paul Leuepke, UT Health Science Center, Department of Periodontology chair;
Holly Mercer, UT Knoxville, senior associate dean;
Jorge Pérez, UT System administration, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness;
Craig Pickett, UT Institute of Agriculture, director for diversity;
Susan Robertson, Institute for Public Service, communications manager;
Robby Shelton, UT Southern, vice chancellor for finance and administration;
Timothy Sigler, UT System administration, assistant vice president for government relations and advocacy;
David Steele, UT Chattanooga, chief of staff;
David White, UT Institute of Agriculture, associate dean for research.