Board Members

Charles E. Allen, Jr.

Charles E. Allen, Jr. is an entrepreneur with a background in finance, real estate, and banking. He is President of Charles E. Allen Co., Inc. and of Stowaway Self Storage. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Allen has served on both public and private corporate boards as well as numerous nonprofit boards and committees. He is also a former member of the Tennessee General Assembly. He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.  He and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of two sons and live in Johnson City. 

Janet Ayers

Janet Ayers serves as president of the Ayers Foundation, which focuses on increasing education opportunities for students in Tennessee. Mrs. Ayers is a recognized business leader and philanthropist with over twenty years of experience in health care administration. She is active on a number of boards and previously served on the Tennessee State Board of Education and as a commissioner of the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission. She is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in health care administration.

Steve DeCarlo

Steven DeCarlo is chief executive officer of AmWINS Group, Inc., a global specialty insurance distributor. Mr. DeCarlo serves on a number of boards in the financial services and insurance industry and has also been a supporting member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation. A resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr. DeCarlo holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from East Tennessee State University.

Steph Frye-Clark
Faculty Trustee

Dr. Steph Frye-Clark is Associate Professor of Tuba & Euphonium in the Department of Music at ETSU.  They hold a Doctorate of Musical Arts and a Masters of Music from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  They have served on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee from 2021 to present and was a Provost Academy Scholar during the 2022 calendar year.  In addition to their activities on campus, Dr. Frye-Clark is a highly sought-after and internationally recognized performer and educator.

Dorothy Grisham

Dorothy Grisham owns and operates an Allstate Insurance agency in Chattanooga. An active citizen, Ms. Grisham has been locally involved with the Boy Scouts of America, the Chattanooga Urban League, and the Hamilton County Foster Care Review Board. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from East Tennessee State University.

Linda Latimer, MD

Dr. Linda Latimer holds active medical licenses in both Tennessee and Virginia and is a College of American Pathologists Fellow as well as an American Society of Clinical Pathologists Fellow. A board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist, Latimer received her medical degree from ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine and also completed her pathology residency through ETSU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has held various positions throughout her career, including serving as the medical director of Cytopathology Laboratory in Johnson City and the medical director of the laboratory at Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville. She has also served as a clinical assistant professor in the Quillen College of Medicine. Latimer has served on many committees at hospitals including the Johnson City Medical Center and Takoma Regional Hospital. She also previously served on the Mountain States Health Alliance Foundation Board.

Ron Ramsey

Ron Ramsey is former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Tennessee; he retired from the position in November 2016. He is owner of Ron Ramsey and Associates, a realty company in Upper East Tennessee. Lieutenant Governor Ramsey holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from East Tennessee State University. He and his wife live in Blountville.

Melissa Steagall-Jones

Melissa Steagall-Jones is an alum of ETSU and is a partner in the accounting firm of Blackburn, Childers & Steagall PLC.  She is also a Certified Internal Controls Auditor. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants. She concentrates her practice in audit, governmental, healthcare, employee benefits plans and taxation.  She serves ETSU and the region through her active participation on numerous boards and committees including work in her church children's ministry.

Tony Treadway

Tony Treadway is a native of Erwin, TN and a veteran journalist, brand marketing strategist and founder of The Creative Energy Group Inc. He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications and Political Science.  Treadway has continuously championed ETSU, employing many of its graduates and contributing to significant university initiatives, including the creation of the William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. Before founding Creative Energy, Treadway served as Director of Communications for Nuclear Fuel Services of Erwin, TN and Assistant News Director and Anchor for WJHL-TV. He and wife, Teresa, are parents of two children and two grandchildren and live in Johnson City.

Trent White
Student Trustee

Trent White, a first-generation college student from Erwin, Tennessee, is a senior majoring in Political Science. Trent has worn multiple hats on campus, serving as President of the Student Government Association and holding the position of President in the ETSU Mock Trial team, which he co-founded. Trent is a member of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program and was recently awarded the Truman Scholarship, the premier graduate scholarship for students interested in public service, providing funding for graduate school plus programming and mentorship opportunities.