Dr. Valerie Copeland Rutledge, Dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, was honored by the American Lung Association as a Woman of Distinction. Rutledge has distinguished herself within her “family, career and community” and “set herself apart through civic, cultural, philanthropic, human service, environmental or professional commitments as well as her awareness of image and personal style. She serves in the Chattanooga area with honor and personal dedication to goal achievement.”
The 30th Annual Women of Distinction Awards luncheon was held at the Chattanooga Convention Center Ballroom. Teresa Dinger ’88 ‘95, Administrative Director of Marketing and Referral Relations, was also honored at the event.
Dr. Valerie Copeland Rutledge
As a cheerleader for The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs in her undergraduate days, Rutledge ’74 ’79 had only begun to sing the praises for the institution where she has taught and served for more than 20 years.
Her career spans four decades. She has taught English, Latin, and Drama in the Hamilton County Schools and was recognized as Hamilton County Teacher of the Year, Southeast Tennessee, and Tennessee High School Teacher of the year in 1986. She joined the UTC faculty in 1995, became Director of the School of Education, and was named Dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies in 2013. The UC Foundation Professor also holds the Mildred Routt Distinguished Teaching Professorship.
Rutledge earned the B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Secondary Education: English and received her doctoral degree in Higher Education: Leadership Studies from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
She was the first woman elected to lead the Hamilton County Republican Party from 1993-1994. She took a leave of absence from teaching to run her father’s campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee, managing the statewide campaign, arranging engagements, and establishing campaign support in counties throughout the state.
Her work with Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge has helped send area high school students to the historical site in Pennsylvania to learn firsthand about their government and the principles upon which our country was founded.
In 1999, Rutledge was appointed by Governor Don Sundquist to a nine-year term on the Tennessee State Board of Education to represent the Third Congressional District.
As a member of the board of Siskin Children’s Institute and Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital, Rutledge enjoys working collaboratively with these organizations, primary partners in much of the work of the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. She also serves on the board of the Principals Leadership Academy, a unique collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce, PEF, HCDE, and UTC.
