Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director of the UC Foundation Kim White
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director of the UC Foundation Kim White will transition into a new role of executive advisor to the UC Foundation, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle made the announcement.
White joined the University’s Executive Leadership Team in December 2021. She has decided to step into a part-time role, which will allow her to focus more on family while continuing her impactful work.
“I’m passionate about this University. Throughout my four decades as a UTC student, volunteer, donor, advocate and vice chancellor, I’ve seen firsthand how our University changes lives. I credit it for laying the groundwork for much of my own success,” Vice Chancellor White said.
“I joined the University to rebuild the Advancement team and grow its philanthropic outreach. I feel an enormous sense of accomplishment and pride in what this talented team has been able to deliver. A strong foundation has been established and they are positioned to deliver even greater results for our UTC community. While I may be changing titles, I will always be a Moc!”
Angle said a national search for a new vice chancellor will be launched immediately. UTC Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Mark Wharton and UC Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Ashlee Patten will serve as co-chairs of the search committee. Gonser Gerber LLC, a national executive search consultant, will support the process.
“When Vice Chancellor White joined the UTC Executive Leadership Team in December 2021, she came in during a difficult time in higher education due to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. A UTC alumna with 18 years of experience holding multiple volunteer leadership positions at UTC and within the UT System, she brought a remarkable blend of professional expertise, skills and knowledge to campus with a mission of rebuilding the infrastructure of the UC Foundation, and she has accomplished what she set out to do,” Angle said.
“Her vision was to reignite a philosophy of philanthropy on our campus by rebuilding our advancement and alumni engagement teams. This was essential to realize our potential to deliver the outstanding results our community deserved. The results speak for themselves: her team has delivered record-breaking fundraising, donor and alumni engagement numbers.”
UTC is coming off of the single largest fundraising year in University history, with $60.1 million raised from 6,762 donors during fiscal year 2024.
The investments in the UTC campus were highlighted by Gary and Kathleen Rollins’ $30 million gift to support the expansion of Fletcher Hall and the home to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. UTC’s School of Nursing received its most significant gift ever—$8 million from the Kennedy Foundation, Inc. to name the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, which will break ground later this fall and be the new home for the School of Nursing.
The UC Foundation, established in 1969, manages the private endowment of the University and provides resources to support distinctive programs and promote bold initiatives that enrich the educational experience at UTC.
Patten, the UC Foundation Board Chair, praised White’s achievements.
“Kim’s results-driven leadership has helped rejuvenate the Advancement team and modernize the UC Foundation,” Patten said. “Both UTC and the broader community are beneficiaries of her strategic thinking and decades of service. Thanks to Kim, the UC Foundation is well positioned to help UTC ‘dream big’ and attain its academic and fundraising goals.”
In White’s new role as executive advisor, the UC Foundation seeks to leverage her unique skills and experience. White will assist the Foundation’s new leadership with formulating long-term strategic initiatives, securing major gifts, and evaluating UC Foundation real estate opportunities.
A native of Hixson, White received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UTC in 1982. Her University experience includes serving as president of the UTC Alumni Board, being selected as the second woman in UC Foundation history to serve as its chair, serving on the UT Foundation Board, and representing UTC after being appointed by Governor Bill Haslam to serve on the UT Board of Trustees.
