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.

Wade Farmer

Wade Farmer is a Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years of experience and has been a tax Partner at Blackburn, Childers & Steagall since 2003. He holds a Master of Accountancy from East Tennessee State University and currently serves as a Director and on the Audit Committee for Mountain Commerce Bank. A dedicated community leader, Mr. Farmer has held key roles in several civic and professional organizations. He and his wife reside in Telford, TN and attend Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church.

Steph Frye-Clark
Faculty Trustee

Dr. Steph Frye-Clark is Associate Professor of Tuba & Euphonium in the Department of Music at ETSU.  Dr. Frye-Clark holds 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 campus activities, 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.

Jon Lundberg

Jon Lundberg is president and chief executive officer of  Corporate Image, a media and public relations firm headquartered in Bristol, Tennessee. Lundberg is also CEO of Corporate Marketing, an award-winning digital marketing and advertising agency.

Lundberg is a retired Tennessee state Senator – he served two terms in the senate and five terms in the Tennessee State House.  Lundberg is also a retired Captain in the U.S. Navy. His last assignment was at the Pentagon where he served as the senior advisor for public affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served at the Pentagon for Secretary of Defense.  Lundberg served as a commanding officer of seven different units during his tenure in the Navy.

Prior to Corporate Image, Lundberg had a successful career in broadcast news. His experience in broadcasting spanned more than a decade. An award winning broadcast journalist, he has been associated as lead anchor and managing editor with TV and radio stations in Colorado Springs, Vail, Aspen, Reno, Wichita and Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee.

He received his bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in radio and TV broadcasting from Colorado State University. He attended graduate school at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

His community involvement is extensive and has included service on numerous boards.

He has been married to the former Lisa White of Bristol, Tennessee, for 34 years, and they have a 32-year-old daughter, Samantha, and 28-year-old son, Nelson.  They attend First Presbyterian Church in Bristol.

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.

Grant Summers

 

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.

Aashi Vora
Student Trustee

Aashi Vora, a biology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, is a third-year student in the Quillen Honors Scholars BS/MD pathway program. She has held several leadership roles on campus, including Co-Founder and President of the South Asian Student Association, Vice President of Finance and Panhellenic Relations for Alpha Delta Pi, and Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. Aashi brings a global perspective shaped by study abroad experiences that have deepened her understanding of healthcare, policy, and culture. She has earned multiple awards for her leadership and service, including five Summit Awards in her first two years and international honors from Alpha Delta Pi. Known for balancing academics, leadership, and service, Aashi is a dedicated and impactful member of the ETSU community.