Contract 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. 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.
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.
*Please note that Institution Authority contracts were formerly known as delegated contracts.
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.
| Name | Title | Campus / Institute | 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 | Procurement CFO letter | December 15, 2015 | |
| Mark Alexander | Assistant Vice Chancellor Student Life | Knoxville | Swimming pool lease agreements | Alexander CFO Letter | September 5, 2023 |
| Ryan Alpert | Sr. Deputy AD/Chief Revenue Officer | Knoxville | Facility license and lease agreements, House Distribution MOUs using standard template (terms less than one year and less than $250,000), House Distribution Agreements on standard template when amount is less than $250,000 | Alpert CFO Letter | June 10, 2025 |
| Leanna Belew | Executive Director, Continuing Education | Knoxville | External use of campus facilities agreements for UT Conferences and Events Services Office | Belew CFO Letter | August 21, 2023 |
| Eric Blumenthal | Executive Vice Chancellor/COO | Southern | Institution Authority contracts, UT Southern | Policy FI0420 | |
| Mr. Randy Boyd | President | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | ||
| Brad Briggs | Sr. Associate Athletics Director/CFO | Knoxville | Facility license and lease agreements, House Distribution MOUs using standard template (terms less than one year and less than $250,000), House Distribution Agreements on standard template when amount is less than $250,000 | Briggs CFO Letter | June 10, 2025 |
| Brian Browning | Associate Vice Chancellor Finance & Administration | Knoxville | External use of campus facilities agreements for UT Conferences and Events Services Office | Browning CFO Letter | August 21, 2023 |
| Dr. Peter F. Buckley, MD | Chancellor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center | Memphis | Institution Authority Memphis | Policy FI0420 | |
| Jeremy Burnett | Director, Lone Oaks Farm | UTIA | Institution Authority receivable contracts on UTIA template for Lone Oaks Farm | Burnett CFO Letter | November 19, 2024 |
| Dr. Wesley Byerly | Interim Vice Chancellor for Research, UTHSC | Memphis | Institution Authority domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents, for UTHSC | Policy FI0420 | January 10, 2023 |
| Dr. Herb Byrd | Vice President of Public Service | IPS | Institution Authority 13, 14, 15, & 16 | Policy FI0420 | |
| Paul Byrnes | Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Knoxville | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts, Knoxville | Policy FI0420 | July 1, 2024 |
| Clay Carroll | Executive Director of Finance, Administration and Operations | Knoxville | Public Radio Underwriting Agreements and Media Sponsorship Trade Agreements | Carroll CFO Letter | August 21, 2023 |
| Dr. Keith Carver | Senior Vice Chancellor/Senior Vice President for the UT Institute of Agriculture | UTIA | Institution Authority contracts for UTIA | Policy FI0420 | |
| Sandra Chambers | Budget Director, Conferences & Event Services | Knoxville | Campus facility agreements (excluding Thompson Boling Arena) up to $25,000 | Chambers CFO Letter | May 30, 2025 |
| Dr. Robert Craft, MD | Dean, UTHSC Graduate School of Medicine | Memphis | Institutional Review Board (IRB) Authorization Agreements | Craft CFO letter | October 3, 2022 |
| Dr. Deborah Crawford | Vice Chancellor for Research | Knoxville | Institution Authority domestic sponsored grants and contracts | Policy FI0420 | |
| Dr. Brad Day | Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Initiatives | Knoxville | Institution Authority 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 | Day CFO Letter | February 14, 2023 |
| Dr. Robert Dooley | Interim Chancellor, UT Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Institution Authority | Policy FI0420 | January 1, 2025 |
| Dr. Jennifer Easley | Chief Business Officer, UT System Administration | UTSA | All Institution Authority System Administration | Easley CFO Letter | March 29, 2023 |
| Dr. Yancy Freeman | Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Martin | Martin | Institution Authority Martin | Policy FI0420 | |
| Staci Fuqua | Coordinator of Field Placements | Martin | Partnership agreements with local schools on the UTM template. | Fuqua CFO email | February 18, 2021 |
| Kristena Gallimore | Accounting Coordinator | Martin | Tennessee Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Program forms | Gallimore CFO letter | January 8, 2021 |
| Brent Goldberg | Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Institution Authority Chattanooga | Policy FI0420 | |
| Jody Hamblett | WUOT General Manager | Knoxville | Public Radio Underwriting Agreements and Media Sponsorship Trade Agreements | Hamblett CFO Letter | August 21, 2023 |
| Tiffany Harmon | Budget Director, Social Work | Knoxville | Institution Authority Social Work Field Instruction MOUs using standard template | Harmon CFO Letter | October 1, 2024 |
| Erin Hotochin | Budget Director, College of Veterinary Medicine | UTIA | Institution Authority contracts for the College of Veterinary Medicine | Hotochin CFO Letter | May 30, 2025 |
| Brett Huebner | Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance | UTIA | Institution Authority for AgResearch, UT Extension, UTIA Administration, and College of Veterinary Medicine | Huebner CFO Letter | January 1, 2025 |
| Chelsea Inman | Director of Grants and Contracts, Division of Research Administration | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts accepting UTK’s obligation to perform a sponsored project (funded and non-funded), material transfer agreements, teaming agreements with external organizations to pursue external funding opportunities, non-disclosure agreements/ confidentiality disclosure agreements | Inman CFO Letter | May 30, 2025 |
| Samantha Johnson | Director, Shared Services | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts for Budget Entities 01, 02, 12, 18 | Johnson CFO Letter | August 22, 2023 |
| Mike Keener | Director of Licensing Office | UTSA | College Crafter Agreements only | Keener CFO letter | May 16, 2012 |
| Missy Kitts | Budget Director | UTIA | Institution Authority contracts for UT Extension and UTIA Administration | Kitts CFO Memo | January 2, 2025 |
| Raaj Kurapati | Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, Health Science Center | Memphis | Institution Authority contracts for UTHSC | Policy FI0420 | July 6, 2023 |
| Raaj Kurapati | Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, Health Science Center | Memphis | Contracts with foreign universities | Kurapati CFO Letter | October 30, 2024 |
| Ron Loewen | Associate Vice President, Budget, Analysis and Planning, System Administration | UTSA | All Institution Authority System Administration | Loewen CFO Letter | March 31, 2023 |
| Luke Lybrand | Treasurer | UTSA | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Dr. Reinhold Mann | Vice Chancellor for Research, UTC | Chattanooga | Domestic grants and contracts for UTC’s sponsored research | Policy FI0420 | |
| Dr. Linda Martin | Interim Chancellor, UT Southern | Southern | Institution Authority contracts UT Southern | Policy FI0420 | |
| Kim McCullock | Associate Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Knoxville | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts for UTK, UTSI and UTIA | McCullock CFO Letter | January 6, 2023 |
| Petra McPhearson | Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Martin | Martin | Institution Authority contracts for Martin | Policy FI0420 | |
| Rip Mecherle | Chief Investment Officer | UTSA | Contracts related to investments, funds transfers, and managing investments, including contracts for subscriptions | Mecherle CFO Letter | July 11, 2023 |
| Dr. Lori Messinger | Dean, College of Social Work | Knoxville | Institution Authority Social Work Field Instruction MOU using standard template | Messinger CFO Letter | October 1, 2024 |
| David Miller | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | UTSA | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Cynthia Moore | Secretary | UTSA | All contracts | Bylaws (Article VII section 7.6.) | |
| Phillip Moore | Interim Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs, College of Nursing (UTK) | Knoxville | Letters of agreement for nursing student clinical practice placement | Moore CFO Letter | September 29, 2023 |
| Sara E. (Sally) Morris | Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Administration | Knoxville | Institution Authority UTK contracts tied to sponsored grants and contracts | Morris CFO Letter | August 17, 2023 |
| Brenda Murrell | Associate Vice Chancellor for Research | Knoxville | Institution Authority domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents, for UTHSC | Murrell CFO Letter | January 10, 2023 |
| Allyson Neal | Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs, College of Nursing (UTK) | Knoxville | Letters of agreement for nursing student clinical practice placement | Neal CFO Letter | September 29, 2023 |
| Donna Neblett | Director of Educator Preparation Program and Accreditation | Martin | Partnership agreements with local schools on the UTM template | Neblett CFO email | February 18, 2021 |
| Cynthia Nichols | Budget Director, University of Tennessee AgResearch | UTIA | Institution Authority Budget Entity 11 | Policy FI0420 | |
| Austin Oakes | Executive Director | UTSA | Contracts related to construction and real property | Oakes CFO letter | December 6, 2019 |
| Marie Penn | Interim Director, Preaward Operations, UT Knoxville | Knoxville | Attestations that information in the proposal is accurate and correct, Cost share obligation letters for the institution, Department of Health and Human Services Proposals only and provides authority to act as a Signing Official as defined in eRACommons, and any other sponsor specific documents required for proposal submission | Penn CFO Letter | July 11, 2024 |
| Dr. Donde Plowman | Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts Knoxville | Policy FI0420 | |
| Paul Plummer | Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine | UTIA | Institution Authority Budget Entity 18 | Plummer CFO Letter | July 22, 2024 |
| Brian Ranger | UTK Biological Safety Officer | Knoxville | Biological Safety documents per CFO letter | Ranger CFO Letter | September 29, 2023 |
| Dr. Justin Rhinehart | Interim Dean | UTIA | Institution Authority contracts for UT Extension | Rhinehart CFO Letter | June 7, 2024 |
| Joy Ritchey | Team Lead, Preaward Operations, UT Knoxville | Knoxville | Signature authority Is limited to Department of Health and Human Services Proposals only and provides authority to act as a Signing Official as defined In eRACommons | Ritchey CFO Letter | February 9, 2024 |
| Dr. John Schmisseur | Associate Dean and Executive Director of UTSI | Knoxville | Institution Authority contracts and associated documents for sponsored projects by external sponsors upon completed terms and conditions review by the UTSI Grant and Contracts Office | Schmisseur CFO Letter | April 14, 2023 |
| Abbie Shellist | Director of Procurement Services | UTSA | Minnesota Multistate Contract Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP) applications | Shellist CFO Letter | August 9, 2022 |
| Emily Simerly | UTK Deputy Chief of Police | Knoxville | UTPD Officer Training Reimbursement Agreements | Simerly CFO Letter | September 5, 2023 |
| David Smelser | Director of Preaward Operations, UT Knoxville | Knoxville | Attestations that information In the proposal is accurate and correct, cost share obligation letters for the Institution, for Department of Health and Human Services Proposal only, authority to act as a signing official as defined In eRACommons, any other sponsor specific documents required for the proposal submission | Smelser CFO Letter | February 9, 2024 |
| Jessica Snowden | Vice Chancellor for Research, UTHSC | Memphis | Institution Authority domestic sponsored grants and contracts, and related documents, for UTHSC | Policy FI0420 | September 5, 2024 |
| James Stanley | Facilities Security Officer, UTK | Knoxville | Institution authority for classified research security | Stanley CFO Letter | October 20, 2023 |
| Ryan Stinnett | General Counsel | UTSA | Authority to retain outside legal counsel (Bylaws); contracts for legal consulting services and legal research goods and services (CFO letter) | Bylaws Section 7.7 | September 18, 2019 |
| Ryan Stinnett | General Counsel | UTSA | Designer agreements; designer agreement supplements; construction contracts; CMGC contract amendments; gift property contracts for amounts greater than $24,999.99 | Stinnett CFO letter | June 18, 2015 |
| Ryan Stinnett | General Counsel | UTSA | Contracts for legal consulting services; contracts for legal research goods and services | Stinnett CFO letter #2 | August 23, 2021 |
| Shelia Swift | Exec. Assoc. Dean, Academic Affairs, College of Nursing (UTK) | Knoxville | Letters of agreement for nursing student clinical practice placement | Swift CFO Letter | September 29, 2023 |
| Kerry Witcher | Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs | Knoxville | Contracts related to planned giving; Mr. Witcher may not sign contracts between UTFI and UT, per FI0420 | Witcher CFO Letter | August 3, 2018 |
| Dr. Tami Wyatt | Associate Dean for Research; Interim Institutional Official for IRB | Knoxville | Reliance agreements, investor agreements, certificates of confidentiality applications, Form 310 certification | Wyatt CFO Letter | February 14, 2023 |
| Rumira Xhaferaj | Chief Business Officer, Institute of Public Service | Institute for Public Service | Institution Authority contracts Budget Entities 13,14, 15, & 16 | Policy FI0420 | |
| Dr. Hongwei Xin | Dean, AgResearch | UTIA | Institution Authority contracts for AgResearch | Xin 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 | Abel CBO Letter | September 11, 2015 |