Members of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees appointed Randy Boyd as president of the University of Tennessee on Friday, according to the University of Tennessee’s website.
This, after Boyd served for 16 months as interim president.
Boyd reacted to the news on his Facebook page.
“I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to continue serving my alma mater,” Boyd wrote.
“To our students, faculty and staff, I look forward to achieving our ambitious goal of making this the greatest decade in the history of the University of Tennessee! Together, we can.”
Boyd took office following the retirement of UT President Joe DiPietro. As UT’s 26th president, Boyd serves as the chief executive officer of a statewide university system that includes the flagship campus in Knoxville, campuses in Chattanooga and Martin, the Health Science Center in Memphis, the Space Institute in Tullahoma, and statewide institutes of agriculture and public service, according to UT’s website.
Boyd is the founder and chairman of Radio Systems Corp., a Knoxville-based business. They have more than 800 employees, offices in six countries and produce pet-related products under the brand names PetSafe, Invisible Fence and SportDOG. He also serves as chairman of Boyd Sports and owns the Tennessee Smokies, Johnson City Cardinals, Greeneville Reds and Elizabethton Twins, according to UT’s website.
Boyd also chaired the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and was commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He is founder and co-chair of the Governor’s Rural Taskforce, which exists to help state government and industry leaders find solutions to the biggest challenges facing rural Tennessee.
Boyd also served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s adviser for higher education and was the architect for Tennessee Promise, Drive to 55 and Tennessee Achieves—initiatives aimed at increasing the number Tennesseans with post-secondary degrees to 55 percent by 2025 and decreasing financial hardship for those Tennesseans pursuing degrees, UT’s website said.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Randy Boyd” by Randy Boyd.
Figures that UT would select a flaming liberal. That school has become a disagree to this state.
La Raza Randy rides again. No, thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXpQzSgmXG8