Nashville – The UT Board of Trustees has named a four-person special committee to review the findings of an internal audit investigation into UT President John Shumaker-s expenditures over the last year.
The committee will be chaired by Steve Ennis, a businessman from Tullahoma, TN and member of the UT Board of Trustees since 1988. In addition to Ennis, three other board members were named to the special committee: Dr. Rynette Hurd, an attorney from Memphis; Lynn Johnson, Chairman of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and former Eastman executive from Kingsport; and Andrea Loughry, a Murfreesboro businesswoman. In addition, Clayton McWhorter, the Board-s vice chair, will serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.
Earlier this month, McWhorter ordered internal auditors to conduct a top to bottom review of all expenditures of the President-s office including plane use, credit card use, other travel and entertainment expenditures, as well as funding for any other special projects. The audit report is expected back the week of August 4 at which time the special Board committee named today will review its findings and make recommendations regarding any subsequent action back to the Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee.
-While Dr. Shumaker-s efforts to review his expenditures and reimburse anything questionable is to be applauded, the Board has a responsibility to conduct its own independent assessment of expenditures,- McWhorter said. -We need to make absolutely certain that university funds have been expended appropriately in every instance.-
Earlier this month, Governor Phil Bredesen urged the Board to consider appointing such a committee to independently look into concerns about Dr. Shumaker-s expenditures.
-The Governor-s suggestion of appointing an independent review committee was a wise one,- said McWhorter. -We-re going to leave no stone unturned in reviewing these issues and determining what, if any, additional actions need to be taken.-
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Background Information on the
Special Committee Members
Steve Ennis is President of Coca-Cola Bottling Works of Tullahoma, Inc. – a business he has worked in since 1956. Ennis has a B.S. degree in Business from Stetson University and also served in the U.S. Army. In addition to his long-time service on the Board of Trustees, he also serves on the Board of Governors for the Coca-Cola Bottlers Association. He has served on the UT Board of Trustees since 1988.
Dr. Rynette Hurd is an attorney with International Paper Company in Memphis. Hurd holds a bachelor-s degree from Mount Holyoke College, a master-s degree from Harvard University, a Ph.D. from George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, and a J.D. from the University of Memphis. She is a member of the National Conference of Bar Examiners and also serves on the boards of the Memphis Area Legal Services and the Memphis Black Repertory Theatre. She has served on the UT Board of Trustees since 2000.
Lynn Johnson is the Chairman of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a position he took after retiring from a 37-year career with Eastman Chemical Company. Johnson is a graduate of UT where he received a B.S. in Business Administration. He also holds a master-s degree in Economics from East Tennessee State University. He has served on the UT Board of Trustees since 1999.
Andrea Loughry is President of Miller & Loughry Insurance and Services, Inc., located in Murfreesboro, TN. Loughry earned both B.S. and M.S. degrees from UT and did post-graduate work at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She began her career as a secondary school teacher and also served as a tenured professor at MTSU before going into the insurance business. Loughry was the first woman president of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and was named Businessperson of the Year in 1990. She has served on numerous boards, including the Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts, the Better Business Bureau, and Laubach Literacy International. She is also president of the Rutherford County Chapter of the Independent Insurance Agents of America. She has served on the UT Board of Trustees since 1999.