Nashville: Haslam names 5 to UT board of trustees

NASHVILLE - Businessmen J. Brian Ferguson and Tommy G. Whittaker have been named to the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

Haslam also named Dr. Janet Mary Rasmussen-Wilbert as a non-voting faculty trustee.

He appointed Teresa K. Fowler as a non-voting student trustee and renamed Spruell Driver Jr. to the board.

Ferguson is a director of Owens Corning and is retired executive chairman and CEO of Eastman.

Whittaker serves as president and CEO of First Farmers Bancshares in Portland, Tenn.

Wilbert is professor of health and human performance and athletic training coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Fowler is a sophomore at UT at Martin.

Driver is a Tennessee attorney who previously has been on the board of trustees of UT and was president of the UT National Alumni Association from 2004 to 2005.

"Higher education is a critical component in creating a high quality workforce in Tennessee," Haslam said. "In today's economic climate, we are asking higher education to do more with less and we believe with the right team it is possible to be innovative, creative and proactive in our commitment to increase the number of Tennesseans with a college degree."

The board of trustees is made up of 26 members and is the governing body of the university.

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