Contracts Signature Authority
The University of Tennessee’s bylaws (Article VII section 7.6) and Contracts Fiscal Policy (FI0420) specify which University employees are allowed to sign contracts on behalf of the University. Only those individuals on the list below have authority to sign on behalf of the University. So, if someone’s name is not on this list, they are not authorized to sign on behalf of the University. This applies for all contracts, regardless of dollar value. The University is not bound by unauthorized signatures.
If you have questions about this webpage, please contact Abbie Shellist at ashellis@tennessee.edu
Per FI0420: An official otherwise authorized to sign a contract on behalf of the university may
not do so for contracts involving entities in which that individual is also an officer
or a member of the board of directors.
List of University employees who are authorized to sign contracts on behalf of The University of Tennessee:
Page last updated: October 6, 2022
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Signature Authority | Based On | Date of CFO letter (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement Services/Purchasing Offices | Procurement and Purchasing staff in UTC, UTM, UTHSC, and UTK procurement/purchasing offices | Order forms related to master agreements | CFO letter | December 15, 2015 | |
| Dr. Steven R. | Angle | Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Delegated Chattanooga | FI0420 | |
| Allen | Bolton | Interim Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration, Knoxville | Delegated Knoxville | FI0420 | |
| Mr. Randy | Boyd | President | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Dr. Peter F. | Buckley, MD | Chancellor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center | Delegated Memphis | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Wesley | Byerly | Interim Vice Chancellor for Research, UTHSC | Delegated domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents, for UTHSC. | FI0420 | January 10, 2023 |
| Dr. Herb | Byrd | Vice President of Public Service | Delegated 13, 14, 15, & 16 | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Keith | Carver | Senior Vice Chancellor/Senior Vice President for the UT Institute of Agriculture | Delegated contracts for UTIA | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Phil | Cavalier | Interim Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Martin | Delegated Martin | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Robert | Craft, MD | Interim Dean, UTHSC Graduate School of Medicine | Institutional Review Board (IRB) Authorization Agreements | CFO letter | October 3, 2022 |
| Dr. Deborah | Crawford | Vice Chancellor for Research | Delegated domestic sponsored grants and contracts | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Brad | Day | Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Initiatives | Delegated export control documents including certifications from external vendors and sponsors, custody transfer form from ORNL's Property Office, vendor end-use agreements and UCNI-OUO certification for Y-12 | CFO Letter | February 14, 2023 |
| Dr. Jennifer | Easley | Chief Business Officer, UT System Administration | All budget entity 17 | CFO Memo | April 28, 2022 |
| Vicki | Farnsworth | Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer and Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration | Delegated Chattanooga | FI0420 | |
| Anthony | Ferrara | Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations, Health Science Center | Delegated Memphis | FI0420 | |
| Staci | Fuqua | Coordinator of Field Placements | Partnership agreements with local schools on the UTM template. | CFO email | February 18, 2021 |
| Kristena | Gallimore | Accounting Coordinator | Tennessee Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Program forms. | CFO letter | January 8, 2021 |
| Brent | Goldberg | Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Chattanooga | Delegated Chattanooga | FI0420 | |
| Mike | Keener | Director of Licensing Office | College Crafter Agreements only | CFO letter | May 16, 2012 |
| Missy | Kitts | Budget Director | Delegated contracts for UT Extension and UTIA Administration. | CFO Memo | March 30, 2022 |
| Ron | Loewen | Associate Vice President, Budget, Analysis and Planning, System Administration | All budget entity 17 | CFO Letter | March 31, 2023 |
| Luke | Lybrand | Treasurer | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Tim | Mapes | Associate Treasurer | contracts related to investments, funds transfers, and managing investments, including contracts for subscriptions. | CFO letter | August 31, 2021 |
| Dr. Linda | Martin | Interim Chancellor, UT Southern | Delegated UT Southern | FI0420 | |
| Kim | McCullock | Associate Vice Chancellor of Finance & Administration, Knoxville | Delegated contracts for UTK, UTSI, UTIA | CFO Letter | January 6, 2023 |
| Petra | McPhearson | Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration, Martin | Delegated Martin | FI0420 | |
| Rip | Mecherle | Chief Investment Officer | contracts related to investments, funds transfers, and managing investments, including contracts for subscriptions. | CFO letter | August 31, 2021 |
| Jean | Mercer | Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration | Delegated Knoxville Research | CFO letter | April 5, 2016 |
| David | Miller | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Cynthia | Moore | Secretary | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Brenda | Murrell | Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research | Delegated domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents, for UTHSC. | CFO Letter | January 10, 2023 |
| Donna | Neblett | Director of Educator Preparation Program & Accreditation | Partnership agreements with local schools on the UTM template. | CFO email | February 18, 2021 |
| Cynthia | Nichols | Budget Director, University of Tennessee AgResearch | Delegated 11 | FI0420 | |
| Austin | Oakes | Executive Director | Contracts related to construction and real property. | CFO letter | December 6, 2019 |
| Dr. Donde | Plowman | Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Delegated Knoxville | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Joanne | Romagni | Vice Chancellor for Research | Domestic grants and contracts for UTC's sponsored research | FI0420 | |
| Dr. John | Schmisseur | Associate Dean and Executive Director of UTSI | Delegated contracts and associated documents for sponsored projects by external sponsors upon completed terms and conditions review by the UTSI Grant and Contracts Office | CFO Letter | April 14, 2023 |
| Theresa | Sears | Director of Sponsored Program Contracts and Agreements | Delegated domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents for the Office of Research | CFO Letter | June 13, 2022 |
| Dr. Mary Jourdan | Sechrist | Interim Research Integrity Officer | Delegated agreements related to Research Integrity Officer decisions | CFO Letter | February 14, 2023 |
| Abbie | Shellist | Director of Procurement Services | Minnesota Multistate Contract Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP) applications | CFO Letter | August 9, 2022 |
| Robby | Shelton | Chief Business Officer | Delegated contracts for UT Southern | FI0420 | |
| David | Smelser | Director of Pre-award Operations | Documents associated with proposals being submitted to external sponsors including: attestations, cost share obligation letters, any other sponsor-specific documents required for the proposal submission | CFO Letter | February 24, 2022 |
| Ryan | Stinnett | General Counsel | Authority to retain outside legal counsel (Bylaws); contracts for legal consulting services and legal research goods and services (CFO letter). | Bylaws Section 7.7; CFO letter | September 18, 2019 |
| Ryan | Stinnett | General Counsel | Designer agreements; designer agreement supplements; construction contracts; CMGC contract amendments; gift property contracts for amounts greater than $24,999.99. | CFO letter | June 18, 2015 |
| Ryan | Stinnett | General Counsel | Contracts for legal consulting services; contracts for legal research goods and services | CFO letter | August 23, 2021 |
| Dr. Ashley | Stokes | UT Extension | Delegated contracts for UTIA | CFO letter | March 5, 2021 |
| Amy | Stover | Budget Director | Delegated UTIA, in Missy. Kitts' absence. | CFO letter | December 4, 2017 |
| Dr. James P. | Thompson | Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine | Delegated 18 | CFO letter | June 6, 2012 |
| Kerry | Witcher | Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs | Contracts related to planned giving. Mr. Witcher may not sign contracts between UTFI and UT, per FI0420. | August 3, 2018 | |
| Dr. Tami | Wyatt | Associate Dean for Research; Interim Institutional Official for IRB | Reliance agreements, investor agreements, certificates of confidentiality applications, Form 310 certification | CFO Letter | February 14, 2023 |
| Rumira | Xhaferaj | Chief Business Officer, Institute of Public Service | Delegated 13,14, 15, & 16 | FI0420 | |
| Dr. Hongwei | Xin | Dean, AgResearch | Delegated contracts for AgResearch | CFO letter | April 11, 2019 |
| Footnotes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| **UT Contracts Fiscal Policy allows authorized officials to delegate signature authority to athletics directors to sign non-financial game contracts and housing directors to sign pre-approved form contracts for the rental of student housing. The following individuals have been delegated that authority: | |||
| Name | Type of Contracts | Based On | Date of CBO Letter |
| John Abel | Pre-approved forms for student housing | Letter from CBO | September 11, 2015 |
If you have any questions about this list, please contact Abbie Shellist, Director of Procurement Services for University System Administration at ashellis@tennessee.edu or 865-974-3110.