Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2026-27 announced, representing community and technical colleges across the state
The College System of Tennessee today announced the 12 members of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2026-27, representing faculty and staff from community and technical colleges across the state.
The Chancellor’s Fellowship is a nine-month program designed to cultivate leadership talent across the college system. The program launched in 2025 with its inaugural class, which concluded its work in March. Members of the second class are from eight community colleges and four Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), in campus positions spanning academics, student services, and administrative services.
Members of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2026-27 are:
- Dr. Ryan Badeau – Columbia State Community College
- Shasta Carroll – TCAT Hohenwald
- Kim Christmon – Volunteer State Community College
- Jessica Green – TCAT Chattanooga
- Kandra Hire – TCAT Hartsville
- Dr. Angela Hughes – Pellissippi State Community College
- Chris Lykins – Chattanooga State Community College
- Dr. Levi Mayer – TCAT Dickson
- Julie Mula – Jackson State Community College
- Alma Rutledge – Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Dr. Willie Thomas – Cleveland State Community College
- Dr. Nathan Weber – Northeast State Community College
The class launches in June with an orientation session aligned with the quarterly meeting of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the system’s governing board. The class then will conduct monthly sessions through the next academic year.
“We’re delighted to announce and congratulate the members of this second Chancellor’s Fellowship class. 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 class will advance the high standards established by the inaugural group,” said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings.
The Chancellor’s Fellowship is one of three cohort-based programs comprising the Maxine Smith Leadership Series, 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 is designed to help develop emerging and future leaders and encourage innovation in Tennessee’s public higher education system. The other two components are the Emerging Leaders Fellowship and the Faculty Innovation Fellowship programs.
The Chancellor’s Fellowship is specifically aimed at deepening the members’ understanding of education and workforce policy at the system and state levels, while strengthening a pipeline of leaders prepared to move into executive roles in higher education.
More information on the Maxine Smith Leadership Series is available at Maxine Smith Leadership Series | Tennessee Board of Regents.
The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 23 colleges of applied technology, and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 170,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.