Knoxville attorney Janet Hayes elected chair of Carson-Newman University’s Board of Trustees

^{Janet Hayes}

(Jan. 30, 2015) – Strawberry Plains’ Janet Hayes began serving as chair of Carson-Newman University’s Board of Trustees this month. She was elected to the board’s helm by fellow trustee members and succeeds Morristown’s Dr. Tom Harmon as chair.

“Carson-Newman is a special place where students’ lives are changed,” said Hayes. “I am excited to be a part of such important work, especially at this time when the University’s future is so bright.”

Hayes is a 1993 Carson-Newman alumna who began serving on the University’s board in 2009. She is an attorney at Knoxville’s Lewis Thomason where she was elected shareholder in 2002 and elected to the board of directors the following year. In 2008, Knoxville Business Journal named her as one of Knoxville’s “Top 40 Under 40.” She has been named “Top Attorney” in employment law in Knoxville by CityView Magazine multiple years.

After graduating magna cum laude from Carson-Newman, Hayes earned her juris doctor degree from the University of Tennessee, graduating with high honors. She and her husband Tracy Hayes have two children, Cooper and Macy.

The University also welcomed five new members to its board of trustees earlier this month.

“With these newest members joining our board of trustees, it is not hard to be excited about the future of Carson-Newman,” said University President J. Randall O’Brien. “Each of these remarkable individuals only adds to a Carson-Newman that continues to grow stronger in its vision of becoming the Christian liberal arts-based university of choice in the Southeast for education and service.”

New Carson-Newman University Board of Trustees members include:
• Patricia Bible, Morristown, president, founder and CEO of KaTom Restaurant Supplies
• Dale Clayton, Morristown, vice president for Coaches Ministry with Nations of Coaches
• Ruth Hernandez Prescott, Washington, D.C., senior advisor to the president, National Park Foundation
• Dr. Richard “Nate” Schott, Murfreesboro, dentist and owner of TN Professional Training Institute
• Dr. Hong Tjoa, Jefferson City, cardiologist at Jefferson Heart Consultants
The five new members bring the total number of trustees to 30 serving the interests of Carson-Newman University.

Carson-Newman University is a private, Christian liberal arts institution. Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The University has over 2,300 students and offers 50 undergraduate majors, as well as bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.