Teresa McKinney spent 20 years working for Dr. Mary Poston Tanner, watching her supervisor rise from department head to dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. The two recently reunited at a June 11 Founders Hall retirement reception for McKinney. Photo by Angela Foster.
When Teresa McKinney walks out of her office at the end of June, she will close the book on a 42-year chapter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga that began when she was a student worker in the Department of Music.
McKinney was in the process of completing her degree in vocal performance when she was hired as a full-time staff member to assist the department. Over the decades that followed, she has also worked in Curriculum and Instruction, the Graduate School, the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts, Human Ecology, the Office of the Dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, the Office of the Provost, and—since 2015—the Office of the Chancellor, watching UTC grow from a commuter school to a metropolitan campus.
Through it all, McKinney has earned a reputation for her loyalty, discretion and attention to detail as well as being the first line of defense for executive leadership.
As she prepares for retirement, she reflected on the longevity of her career at UTC.
“No, I never expected to be here this long,” she said with a laugh. “I got married and had kids and this was a good place to be. We had great benefits and I had good people that I worked with that were very supportive of family.
“Truthfully, there wasn’t any point in me going anywhere else. I was thinking about (my sons) Benjamin and Trey and the fee waivers because I wanted them both to go to college, which they did. I felt like that was really important for them. This campus has always been a good environment that has been good to me.”
From left: Trey, Teresa and Benjamin McKinney
Not long after graduating from Trinity Christian School in Chattanooga, McKinney read a newspaper article about Chattanooga State Technical Community College launching a new music program.
“I was like, ‘OK, I’ll go there,’ mainly because I didn’t have any other plans at that point,” she recalled. “By then, I was really hooked on singing.
“Somebody then talked to me about coming to UTC and set me up an audition with (music professor) Walker Breland. He offered me a scholarship for the Chamber Singers and I got a transfer scholarship. I was able to come here and receive a scholarship to do Opera Workshop. I also became a student worker in the music department.”
McKinney’s full-time career at UTC began in 1982. She recalled being summoned by Dr. Peter Gerschefski—the longtime department head who played a pivotal role in UTC’s partnership with the Cadek Conservatory of Music—after a departmental clerk unexpectedly left.
“I’ll never forget the interview,” she remembered. “He called me into his office and said, ‘So, do you want the job?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ And he said, ‘OK, can you start tomorrow?’”
Just like that, a 42-year career was launched.
Two years later, McKinney graduated cum laude from UTC with a Bachelor of Music degree.
Among the highlights of her time at UTC was performing the National Anthem at the 1995 opening of the UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center. Country singer Lee Greenwood was at the event, McKinney said, “and I was scared to death.”
Many of her colleagues didn’t initially realize the depth of her musical talent. Her voice, she said, tended to catch people off guard—especially those who had only known her in a professional setting.
“We’d been together a few weeks, maybe a couple of months, and she said that she was going to be in a recital,” said Dr. Mary Poston Tanner, her supervisor for 20 years. “I knew she’d worked in the music department. I knew she was a music major, but I didn’t know what her area was.
“She invited me, and I learned right away that she has a beautiful, beautiful voice.”
From left: Christy Waldrep, Joanna Stephanos and Teresa McKinney
In the years McKinney spent working for Tanner, she watched her rise from department head to dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies.
“The 20 years I spent with her, my gosh, I learned a ton about people and how to deal with them,” McKinney said. “I think about the organization and the people skills. I used to hate to write, but I learned a lot about writing from her as far as drafting recommendation letters, drafting promotion and tenure letters, things like that. I wouldn’t have made it this far without the training I received from her.”
Tanner, who also had a 42-year career at UTC, praised McKinney as someone whose administrative support elevated her own leadership.
“She was totally honest. She was a great communicator. And she made me more efficient,” said Tanner, who currently serves on the UC Foundation Board of Trustees. “As a leader, I tend to be a little bit big picture and she tended to the little details—and that was a great combination. She represented the dean’s office as I wanted it represented: accessible, honest, hardworking and friendly.
“Everybody liked Teresa. Everybody respected her. And because they respected and liked her, they respected and liked me.”
Tanner said that McKinney played a vital role during a period of significant academic growth at UTC. Their time together included the addition of nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy programs to the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies after the dissolution of the College of Health and Human Services.
“She was very central to keeping good, positive relationships,” Tanner said. “Anybody who came into the office or called the office was treated well.”
Tanner completed her UTC tenure as interim provost. After Dr. Jerald Ainsworth was appointed as the new provost in 2013, Tanner suggested McKinney to fill a support role in that office.
“The time in the Provost’s Office was a good move. I loved working for Dr. Ainsworth,” McKinney said.
The move to Founders Hall also gave her the opportunity to converse regularly with Dr. Steve Angle, chancellor of UTC from 2013 to 2024.
“He got here early and I was always here early,” she said, “and he would come talk to me almost every morning. I like to think that built a relationship between us.
“When it came time for this position to be filled [in 2015], I really did not plan on applying for it—and then thought about it a little more before I decided to. I’m glad I did.”
The opportunity to work for the chancellor expanded McKinney’s role to include direct engagement with congressional groups, advisory boards and the UT System.
She also talked about seeing and hearing the interactions Angle had with students. The Office of the Chancellor is the final appeal for students who have been dismissed or suspended from UTC.
“I would hear him talking to these kids,” McKinney said. “He would pick up the phone and talk to them. Most people wouldn’t do that. It allowed me to see a side of him that most people didn’t get to see.”
“Teresa compiled and organized the information for each appeal,” Angle explained, “and many of these cases turned out positive. Teresa and I both enjoyed seeing these students come in and hearing about how life was going for them. We both felt good about having provided an opportunity for these students to find their way and graduate from UTC.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with Teresa McKinney. She is efficient and always gets the job done with a smile. She truly cares about UTC, the students, faculty and staff. Her kindness and compassion define how she does her job. Some days were crazy busy, and Teresa’s calm approach helped us navigate the path forward.”
From left: Dr. Steve Angle, Ian Angle, Teresa McKinney, Dominique Belanger and Zoë Angle
McKinney’s behind-the-scenes role often meant managing traffic in both a literal and figurative sense.
“One of the faculty, when I was still in Education, basically said, ‘She’s just a gatekeeper,’” McKinney recalled, “and Mary was very quick to correct that person and say, ‘Yes, that is her job—to protect me so I can get work done.’
“Yes, we are gatekeepers. That is a big part of our job, trying to keep people from just walking in off the street. Or somebody is upset about something; part of our job is to help diffuse that situation. Another big part of this job is that you have to manage their calendar. You have to keep them on time. My goal was always to do whatever made it easier for them to do their job.”
At times, McKinney said, one of the trickier aspects was figuring out how to frame messages going up the chain to the people she worked for.
“They may or may not want to do something based on how it’s presented,” she said.
Over the last six months, she has worked closely with Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley, whom she first met in 2011 when he was a candidate for dean of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Tanner was chair of the search committee, “and when he was interviewed,” McKinney recalled, “we had airport interviews in Atlanta and she took me with her. I’ve enjoyed working with him since the first time we met.”
“Teresa has been a cherished member of the UTC family whose impact has touched all parts of campus and will be deeply missed,” Dooley said. “I personally want to thank her for her help during my role as interim chancellor. She made the transition to the role smooth and kept me focused and on track. I am forever grateful for her support.”
After June 30, McKinney said she looks forward to a break from the daily commute from Ooltewah, especially the rainy and cold days.
The hard part, she said, is saying goodbye to the people.
“I am going to miss the people very badly; these are my friends. But the people that I’m friends with, we’re going to stay in touch,” she said.
“I had student workers who became like family. One is like an adopted daughter. Another works here on campus. I’m still in touch with all of them. That’s what’s important about the family part of this place—the friends you will still have a good relationship with.”
She said her hope is to be remembered simply.
“I hope I’m leaving everybody with fond memories and that I was helpful,” McKinney said. “I think I’ve done some good. I feel content knowing that.”
Tanner echoed that sentiment.
“I think the campus should always remember Teresa as sort of the perfect blend of expertise and caring,” Tanner said. “She knows her stuff. She’s very, very quick. But she also knows that unless people feel accepted and cared for, they’re not going to do good work. That’s what we need to remember about her.”
Retirement reception photo gallery by Angela Foster
