Our colleges honor veterans in our campus communities

Tennessee’s community and technical colleges honored veterans – including students, faculty, staff and alumni – in Veterans Day activities on campuses statewide today.

As part of those ceremonies, a veteran at each college was also awarded the Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans, a special recognition launched in 2020 by Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings.

While today's ceremonies recognized and honored ALL veterans, the Chancellor’s Commendation is conferred based on nominations by each college’s president. Nominees may be a student, member of the faculty and staff, an alumnus of the college or a member of the community who are veterans or active-service members and exemplify characteristics of service, honor, courage, commitment, and integrity.

There are 40 Chancellor’s Commendation honorees for 2024 – one at each of the system’s 13 community colleges and 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and the Tennessee Board of Regents system office. This year, Pellissippi State Community College awarded three Chancellor’s Commendations in celebration of the college’s 50th anniversary.

Listed below by college, the 40 include 17 students and 23 faculty and staff members. The Commendation is represented by a specially designed challenge coin. Challenge coins have a long tradition in all military branches, where they are awarded by commanders and signify special achievement, excellence, hard work, unit pride, and respect. 

“Our college communities are strengthened by the veterans and active-duty personnel on campus. The experiences and perspectives they bring are an important part of the broad diversity of people and backgrounds on our campuses that benefits everyone,” Dr. Tydings said.

“We are committed wholeheartedly to serving our veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard members, reserve members, military spouses and children. It’s a privilege to honor them, not only on Veterans Day but all year.”

That commitment includes a range of benefits and services for veterans and their families, including:

• All 13 community colleges and 24 TCATs are approved for veteran educational benefits and work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs and state approving agencies to ensure that students benefits are used appropriately.
• Eligible military spouses may use the MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account) scholarship at all our TBR institutions. We participate in Skillbridge programs for transitioning service members.
• In addition, all 13 community colleges and 13 TCATs have achieved VETS Campus certification by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission by meeting additional criteria for excellence standards and compliance for our military-affiliated community. The remaining 11 TCATs are working to earn the certification.

The 2024 Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans honorees and their military branches are:

COMMUNITY COLLEGES:

• Chattanooga State: Malcolm Kennemore, Faculty, Navy Reserve
• Cleveland State: Gregory Edwards, Faculty, Air Force
• Columbia State:  Kelvin Webster, Campus Support Specialist/Academic Advisor, Air Force
• Dyersburg State: Paul Rhodes, Director of Information Technology, Navy
• Jackson State: Dr. Andrew Kelley, Faculty, Army
• Motlow State: Walter Torres, Student, Army
• Nashville State: James Shrum, Communications Services Director, Navy
• Northeast State: Chad Bailey, Chief Financial Officer, Marines
• Pellissippi State: Calvin McDaniel III, Student, Marines; Larry Bates, Chief Information Officer, Air Force; Ron Bridges, Faculty, Army
• Roane State: Joshua Ayden Havener, Student, Navy
• Southwest Tennessee: John Brassel, Faculty, Army
• Volunteer State: Tristan Gomez, Veterans Services Staff, Army
• Walters State: Kimberly Ferguson, Student, Navy

TENNESSEE COLLEGES OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY:

• TCAT Athens: Jill Yates, Student Engagement Coordinator, Air Force
• TCAT Chattanooga: Melvin Rhodes, Faculty, Marines
• TCAT Crump: Jonathan Mehr, Faculty, Navy
• TCAT Dickson: Carlos Felix, Faculty, Army
• TCAT Elizabethton: Steve Sweet, Site Coordinator, Marines
• TCAT Harriman: Dakota Shaw, Student, Army
• TCAT Hartsville: Glenn Wilson, Student, Army National Guard
• TCAT Henry/Carroll: Dan Walcott, Student, Marine Reserves
• TCAT Hohenwald: Jeremiah Biehl, Faculty, Navy
• TCAT Jacksboro: Debbie Faulkner, Faculty, Army
• TCAT Jackson: Brian Matthews, Student, Air Force
• TCAT Knoxville: Stephen Kronk, Faculty, Army
• TCAT Livingston: Joshua Brown, Student, Army
• TCAT McKenzie: Lewis King, Student, Navy
• TCAT McMinnville: Elijah Nash, Faculty, Air Force
• TCAT Memphis: Ocie Duckworth Sr., Faculty, Navy
• TCAT Morristown: Joshua Kesler, Student, Army
• TCAT Murfreesboro: Larry Gill, Faculty, Navy
• TCAT Nashville: Brandon Hollandsworth, Faculty, Air Force
• TCAT Northwest: John Newcomb, Student, Navy
• TCAT Oneida/Huntsville: Richard Haley, Student, Air Force
• TCAT Pulaski: Tyler Whitaker, Student, Marines
• TCAT Shelbyville: Jessica Blevins, Student, Navy
• TCAT Upper Cumberland: James Davenport, Student, Army

TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS SYSTEM OFFICE:

• Dr. Jeff Sisk, Center for Workforce Development Executive Director, Army National Guard