Dynamic leaders make the greatest decade

March 22, 2023 by Randy Boyd University of Tennessee President

A few common denominators that dynamic leaders have is that they are people-focused, vision articulate and inspirational. Keith Carver embodies these traits…and more.

As the newly appointed senior vice chancellor/senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Keith has hit the ground running (or more like sprinting!).

And with UTIA’s presence in all 95 counties, he has the stamina needed to make a tremendous impact across our great state.

Keith is a 26-year veteran of the UT System, serving in various critical roles across our campuses, including interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center, assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin, director of development and alumni affairs for the UT Knoxville College of Law, and executive assistant for our former UT System president Joe DiPietro. He was most recently chancellor of UT Martin, a role he embraced since 2017. Keith is considered one of the System’s best advocates.

In his new role, he will be responsible for leading the statewide UTIA, overseeing and providing leadership to the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension.

Also crucial to the role is collaborating with our important statewide partners, such as the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Farm Bureau, Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council, Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Association, Tennessee Poultry Association, Tennessee Pork Producers and countless others.

I so appreciate Keith’s willingness throughout his career to step up and do whatever is necessary to serve the University of Tennessee. Everywhere he goes, he excels.

His systemwide experience, combined with his unparalleled ability to build authentic relationships, will be invaluable to the institute as it thrives with record research expenditures, increased enrollment, expanding programs and a strong Extension presence in all 95 counties.

Agriculture is core to our mission as the land grand university – always has and always will be.

This cannot be the greatest decade in the history of UT unless it’s the greatest decade in the history of the UT Institute of Agriculture. Under Keith’s leadership, I am confident it will be.

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