Members of the inaugural Chancellor’s Fellowship class announced, representing community & technical colleges across the state

The College System of Tennessee today announced the 10 members of the inaugural Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2025-26, representing faculty and staff from community and technical colleges across the state.

The Chancellor’s Fellowship is a new cornerstone initiative of the Maxine Smith Leadership Series, designed to cultivate leadership talent among senior administrators across the college system. 

Members of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2025-26 are:

• Dr. Stephanie Barham – Northeast State Community College
• Dr. Corey Campbell – Cleveland State Community College
• Dr. James "Jamie" Frakes – Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest
• Daniel Inghram – Dyersburg State Community College
• Dr. Sherria King – Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Karen Larson – Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson
• Kelli Roach – Chattanooga State Community College
• Dr. Elizabeth Ross – Pellissippi State Community College
• Dr. Michael Sundblad – Nashville State Community College
• Jennifer Wright – Tennessee College of Applied Technology McMinnville

The class launches in June with an orientation session aligned with the next quarterly meeting of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the system’s governing board. The class will conduct monthly sessions through the 2025-26 academic year.

The Chancellor’s Fellowship is the first of three fellowship programs that will comprise the Maxine Smith Leadership Series, a set of initiatives aimed at cultivating leadership in Tennessee’s public higher education system.  The Emerging Leaders Fellowship and Faculty Innovation Fellowship programs will launch later.

“We’re delighted to announce the members of this inaugural Chancellor’s Fellowship class and excited to launch the new Maxine Smith Leadership Series,” said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. “Leadership development is one of our major responsibilities to ensure the success of our students in the years ahead, and I’m confident that members of this first class will light the path for the ones to follow – as Maxine Smith did in so many ways.”

The Chancellor’s Fellowship is specifically designed to further enhance the leadership capabilities of senior administrators within the community and technical college system, deepening participants’ understanding of education and workforce policy at both the system and state levels while strengthening a leadership pipeline equipped to move into executive roles in higher education.

Named in honor of the late Maxine Smith, a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents from 1996 to 2006 and a pioneering figure in the pursuit of educational opportunity, the overall series seeks to equip emerging and established leaders with the knowledge and skills essential for successful leadership in Tennessee higher education.

Her legacy is at the heart of the series. She played a critical role in desegregating public schools in Memphis and was a lifelong advocate for expanding access to education.  The Maxine Smith Leadership Series continues her vision by focusing on leadership development for those committed to improving the state's higher education system.

More information is available at Maxine Smith Leadership Series | Tennessee Board of Regents.