KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee System recognized four distinguished alumni and partners for their leadership, service and generosity during the 11th annual President’s Council Showcase and Awards Dinner, held Nov. 14 in Knoxville.
Honorees included Gary Rollins, B.C. “Scooter” Clippard, Mike Griffin and the Bill Gatton Foundation, whose contributions have strengthened the university and expanded opportunities for Tennesseans across the state.
The President’s Council is a volunteer leadership group of alumni and friends who advocate for the university and for higher education statewide. Members serve as advisors to the president and as ambassadors, helping advance the university’s mission to serve the people of Tennessee and beyond.
During the daylong showcase, council members toured the newly opened UT Medical Nursing Building and other UT Knoxville facilities to see how academic programs and student initiatives support workforce development and research. That evening, members gathered at the Hilton Knoxville for the annual awards dinner.
“These award winners truly embody what it means to serve and lead,” UT System President Randy Boyd said. “By stepping up to make a difference, they’re strengthening our campuses and communities today while building a stronger future for Tennessee. Their dedication and generosity are helping us continue the greatest decade in the history of UT and positioning us to make the decades ahead even better.”
The following individuals and organizations were recognized:
- Mike Griffin (Chattanooga ’85) was inducted into the UT Alumni Association Past Presidents Council, which has served since 1965 as an advisory group to the UTAA and a resource for current alumni programs. Griffin serves as the 2024–25 president of the UTAA Board of Governors and as president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. Griffin previously chaired the Cleveland State Community College Board of Trustees and served as president of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place and the Rotary Club of Cleveland.
- B.C. “Scooter” Clippard (Knoxville ’72) received the UT President’s Council Service Award, which recognizes exceptional service in advancing the university. He has served on the UT Athletics Board, UT Board of Trustees and currently on the UT President’s Council. A Maryville native, Clippard served in the Tennessee Air National Guard and held leadership roles in business and banking, including president and partner of A.J. Smith Lumber Co. and vice president of sales at First Bank. He and his wife, Fran, co-founded the Center for Living and Learning in Franklin, Tennessee, in 1986, an adult residential care facility for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
- The Bill Gatton Foundation was named the 2025 University of Tennessee Philanthropist of the Year, which honors donors whose generosity has made a lasting impact on the university. Established by Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton in 1985, the foundation continues his legacy of advancing education through transformative giving. At UT Knoxville, the foundation gave more than $30 million to the Winston College of Law, naming it in honor of Gatton’s longtime friend, UT alumnus and former Tennessee lawmaker Frank Winston (Knoxville ’52).
- Gary Rollins (Chattanooga ’67) received the Jim and Natalie Haslam Presidential Medal, which honors individuals with a distinguished record of supporting the university through personal giving, leadership and service. Rollins is executive chairman emeritus of Rollins Inc., where he spent 56 years in leadership and guided the company’s global growth. He and his wife, Kathleen, gave $40 million to establish the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and another $30 million to expand Fletcher Hall, the college’s home.
About the President’s Council
The President’s Council is a constituency of alumni and friends who understand and support higher education broadly in Tennessee. It is comprised of volunteer leaders who serve as the university’s premier advocates. The council is the UT System President’s core volunteer leadership group charged with advancing the university’s mission to serve the people of Tennessee and beyond through discovery, communication and application of knowledge necessary to create a cohesive, consistent and unifying system model of advancement.
