JOHNSON CITY – Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at East Tennessee State University, has been selected for the ninth class of Leadership Tennessee. She is one of 45 leaders from rural and urban counties across Tennessee who will spend the next year engaging in collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance.
Leadership Tennessee selects a new class of leaders annually to take part in statewide
study while visiting different areas of Tennessee, learning best practices and analyzing
important issues faced by Tennesseans. She was selected among a pool of more than
300 nominations and 100 applications.
“I am honored to have this opportunity to be part of this initiative and to be included among such an impressive and talented group of individuals from our region who will be part of the new Leadership Tennessee class,” McCorkle said. “It is humbling to be chosen for this program, and I look forward to the learning opportunities that are ahead.”
In its ninth year, Leadership Tennessee has developed a network of nearly 450 members, including its Signature Program and Leadership Tennessee NEXT program for emerging leaders. The ninth cohort of Leadership Tennessee’s Signature Program will meet for the first time in August under the leadership of newly announced president and CEO Alfred Degrafinreid II.
At ETSU, McCorkle is the institution’s chief academic officer and provides oversight for all of the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs and other major areas including research, community engagement, and accreditation. McCorkle joined the ETSU administration in July 2021 following a successful 19-year career at the University of West Florida.
McCorkle is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she earned a B.A. degree in English and was selected for Phi Beta Kappa. She later earned her J.D. degree from the University of Florida College of Law. Before joining UWF in a faculty role, she practiced criminal law as a prosecutor and defense attorney.
She is currently the host of the podcast “Why I Teach” which highlights faculty from ETSU who discuss what inspires them to be university faculty members.