Effective Jan.1, Dr. Richard Brown will begin as a special advisor to both University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steven Angle and University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd.
Brown, UTC executive vice chancellor for administration and finance, has more than 37 years of service to the UTC and the UT System.
“Richard has been instrumental to the success of UTC,” Angle said. “His impact has been both broad and deep. In addition, he has been a trusted advisor and partner. I know many other leaders across our campus feel the same way.”
As part of his new dual role as a special advisor, Brown will work closely with the UT president on selective and strategic special projects within the statewide UT System.
“I’ve been contemplating my next chapter for a while, and this role as special advisor to Chancellor Angle and President Boyd aligns with my mission,” Brown said. “I will continue working on the UTC master plan while working directly with leadership across the entire UT System.”
Brown has guided UTC’s financial stewardship for more than 20 years, balancing the institutional budget with no significant audit issues.
He helped build out two master plans, directing the investment of more than $600 million of capital projects on campus–including a new $50-million library, more than $200 million of new student housing developments and more than $450 million of new and renovated facilities.
Brown holds multiple degrees–including a pair of doctoral degrees and Master of Business Administration degree (MBA)–and is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
“I’ve always been a lifelong learner,” Brown explained. “I grew up as a small child in a single-family household, pretty much raised by my mother. I was a first-generation college student in a first-generation college family. I was the first in my family to graduate college. I learned early on, growing up as a young man in East Chattanooga, that education was the key to transform your life.”
Since being hired by UTC in 1984, Brown has been recognized multiple times for his community engagement efforts, earning the statewide Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award and the NAACP’s James R. Mapp Citizen of the Year honors, among others.
Tyler Forrest will assume the duties of UTC vice chancellor for administration and finance, effective Jan. 1.