The University of Chattanooga Foundation Inc. recently named five new members to its board of trustees, following the historic $40 million naming gift by Gary W. Rollins to the benefit UTC's college of business.
The new trustees include Betsy Blunt Brown, president of Pendleton Square Trust Company; Brett Rousch, CPA and manager of ELD Associates, LLC; Frank Williamson, president of Oaklyn Consulting; Clint Wolford, vice president and Partner, Wolford Development, Inc., and Roger Smith, a retired vice president of BB&T Huffaker Insurance.
The University of Chattanooga Foundation Inc. was formed in 1969 with a $3 million endowment that has since grown to represent assets in excess of $200 million.
"This success story is due to the leadership of our board of trustees who ensure the continued growth of our assets and safeguard our unique ability to assist in UTC's excellence," said Dr. Bryan Rowland, vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs and executive director of the UC Foundation, Inc.
Gary W Rollins, right, shakes the hand of University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro after unveiling the name of Gary W. Rollins College of Business Thursday during a campus-wide celebration. Dean Robert Dooley, dean of the College of Business, applauds, center.Through its assets the UC Foundation, Inc. is able to reinvest in UTC by philanthropic endeavors such as grants and scholarships that exceed $1.7 million annually.
The new trustees offer a variety of backgrounds.
As president of Pendleton Square, Brown develops multi-generational family relationships and serves families and their advisors to deliver trust and family offices services as well as legacy plans. She has worked at Cumberland Trust, JPMorgan and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. She is a member of Chattanooga Rotary and sits on the boards of Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga Estate Planning Council, The Generosity Trust and Reflection Riding and Nature Center.
Rousch's duties at ELD focus on tax and estate planning and investments for family-owned operating businesses. He was worked for Coopers & Lybrand and Arthur Anderson & Company. He has served on the UC Foundation'sEndowment Committee, the Policy and Taxation Group (PATG) in California and Washington, D.C. and the board of the Northern Trust Bank (Chicago, Ill.).
Smith, who is a 1973 graduate of UTC's Gary W. Rollins College of Business, is a member of the Downtown Rotary Club, Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, the Rollins College of Business Dean's Advisory Board, the UT Alumni Association Board of Governors and the UT Alumni Legislative Council.
Williamson has served as a trustee and board chair of the Tennessee Aquarium and a trustee and board president of Portland Stage Company (Portland, Maine). He serves as a trustee and investor committee chair for Launch TN, a public-private partnership in Nashville, Tenn. and he serves on the steering committee for the Aspen Institute's Socrates Program.
Wolford has overseen all aspects of the development and leasing of new real estate projects as well as management and leasing of existing projects. He has negotiated deals with several Wal-Mart and Target department stores as well as "Big Box Retailers" such as Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's Arts and Crafts, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, PetSmart, Burke's Outlet and Gander Mountain. Recently, he has signed leases with Starbucks, MOD Pizza, T-Mobile, Lasik Plus, CATO, Firehouse Subs and RAK Outfitters.