Board of Trustees
MTSU Governing Board
J.B. Baker is CEO and owner of Sprint Logistics. He attended Martin Junior College and earned his bachelor’s from MTSU. He is the former owner and chairman of the board for Volunteer Express and Associated Companies, having worked at the company for 30 years. He has served on a number of professional and civic boards, including Martin Methodist College, Goodwill Industries, Saint Thomas Hospital Health Services Fund, and the Nashville Symphony. Baker was awarded Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award by the MTSU Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
Thomas R. “Tom” Boyd is an investment advisor representative with Decker Wealth Management in Nashville. With more than four decades of experience in financial management and banking, he previously served as a senior vice president at Bank of America. Boyd graduated from MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree, holds an M.B.A., and previously served with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Pete DeLay is a Principal at Lynwood Ventures, LLC., a Nashville based investment management company. Previously he led the Nashville office of Forterra Building Products, and before that, he was the president and owner of Sherman-Dixie Concrete Industries Inc. He previously served on the board of trustees of the University of the Sewanee-University of the South and he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Montgomery Bell Academy where he is Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign.
John Floyd is the President of Ole South Properties, Tennessee’s largest home builder. Ole South builds throughout Middle Tennessee. Since 1987, Ole South Properties has built over 16,000 homes. Floyd was recognized in 2007 as the Homebuilder of the Year by the Tennessee Homebuilders Association. He was honored as the 2015 Business Legend by the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from MTSU. He is also very active in the community, donating time and money to many charitable organizations.
Jimmy Granbery is a fourth-generation family member of 130-year-old H.G. Hill Company. He serves as chair of the board and CEO for H.G. Hill Realty Company where he oversees the company’s privately held real estate portfolio. He is involved in various civic organizations, including vice chair of the East Bank Development Authority and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. He is also currently active on the boards of the Nashville Zoo and the Board of Trustees for Middle Tennessee State University. Jimmy previously served as a commissioner and chair for Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, chair of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, and served on the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) board from 2011-2018. Jimmy received his BBA from Ole Miss in 1979 and lives in Nashville with his wife, Jamie. They have two children and five grandchildren.
William S. “Bill” Jones is a 1982 graduate of MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. A nearly life-long resident of Murfreesboro, he has been in the financial services industry since graduation. He currently serves as Area Executive for Pinnacle Financial Partners with responsibilities for Rutherford and Bedford counties with over 30 years with Pinnacle and its predecessor. Currently he serves as the Chairman of the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board, as Chairman of the Ascension/St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital Board and as a member and past Chairman of the Christy-Houston Foundation in Murfreesboro. He also serves as a past President of the MTSU Foundation.
Michai Mosby, Student Trustee, is a recent graduate of MTSU, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations. Throughout his academic career, Michai held numerous leadership positions, including Student Ambassador, SGA Freshman Council President, SGA Chief of Staff, and served two terms as Student Body President. His extensive involvement in the SGA reflects his dedication to representing and advocating for the student body.
Currently, Michai is pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education while serving as a Graduate Assistant in the Division of Student Affairs. He is also the Coordinator for the MTSU Scholars Academy program, where he continues to seek innovative ways to serve and support the university community.
Kari Neely, Faculty Trustee, received her doctorate in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan and is currently an associate professor at MTSU where she teaches courses on the Arabic language, international literature with a specific emphasis on the Middle East, and the intersection of language and culture. Her research explores the polyvocality of visual narratives focusing on the use of the Arabic language in comics and graphic novels.
Throughout her eighteen years at MTSU, Dr. Neely has had the opportunity to serve on numerous university committees including the Incentive Pay Committee, Faculty Sick Leave, General Education, Executive Computer Committee, and University Planning. Additionally, Dr. Neely has been a board member of the Popular Arts Conference since 2016.
Stephen B. Smith, Chair, serves as Chairman of Haury and Smith Contractors Inc. He has served on a number of boards including Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati; Nashville Planning Commission; and Chairman of the Nashville Park Board. Currently, he serves on the boards of Capstar Bank and Williamson County Sports Authority. Smith received his Bachelors of Science degree from MTSU in 2011. He was elected to MTSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, and received the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award in 2010.
Christine Karbowiak Vanek, Vice Chair, retired from her roles as Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Executive Vice President, and Vice Chair – board of directors of Bridgestone Americas Inc., as well as her Executive Officer and Executive Vice President roles with Bridgestone Corporation, effective January 1, 2021. She is active in community organizations and has served on numerous boards including the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan America Society of Tennessee, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Franklin American Music City Bowl (now known as the Transperfect Music City Bowl). She has received a number of recognitions for her civic work and she recently was conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Government of Japan for her work to strengthen Tennessee-Japan relations over the past nearly three decades. She holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Illinois.
Michael J. Wade, CLU, ChFC, is a 1990 graduate of MTSU and an Agency Sales Leader with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, a Fortune 50 company. Michael has over twenty years experience in Insurance and Financial Services and lives in Chesterfield, MO where he has responsibility for 50 independent locations in the St. Louis metro area. Michael is also a small business owner in Tennessee. A Murfreesboro native, Michael has spent several years in key leadership roles in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri and is currently an advisor to the Board of Directors of a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.
Chad White currently serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD), the nation’s premier operator of senior living communities, with 645 communities across 41 states as of June 30, 2025. In April 2025, Mr. White was also appointed to serve as a member of Brookdale’s Office of the CEO until a permanent Chief Executive Officer is appointed by the Company’s Board of Directors. Before joining Brookdale, Mr. White served in legal roles with Dollar General Corporation and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. Mr. White is a proud graduate of MTSU, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication and Political Science, summa cum laude, in 1997. After graduating from MTSU, he received his law degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 2000, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He currently serves on the board of directors for Argentum, a national trade association for the senior living industry.