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.
Allen Archer
Student Trustee
Allen Archer is a medical student at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine (Class of 2026) and a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force on a Health Professions Scholarship. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from ETSU in 2022 with a BS in Health Administration and a Public Health Minor. Allen has been an active member in the ETSU, and greater Johnson City, community by participating in the Student Government Association, serving as president of three student organizations, mentoring peers, and volunteering regularly with a variety of campus and community organizations. Allen and his wife, Dr. Melissa White, have chosen to stay at ETSU because of their love for the community and the infinite opportunities for involvement
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.
Virginia Foley
Faculty Trustee
Dr. Virginia Foley is a Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. She came to East Tennessee State University after retiring from public education in Georgia. She has an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Alabama and an Ed.S. in Guidance and Counseling from the State University of West Georgia. She is the Program Coordinator for the Administrative Endorsement Program and served as Faculty Senate President during the 2014-2016 academic years.
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.
Linda Latimer, MD
Dr. Linda Latimer holds active medical licenses in both Tennessee and Virginia and is a College of American Pathologists Fellow as well as an American Society of Clinical Pathologists Fellow. A board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist, Latimer received her medical degree from ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine and also completed her pathology residency through ETSU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has held various positions throughout her career, including serving as the medical director of Cytopathology Laboratory in Johnson City and the medical director of the laboratory at Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville. She has also served as a clinical assistant professor in the Quillen College of Medicine. Latimer has served on many committees at hospitals including the Johnson City Medical Center and Takoma Regional Hospital. She also previously served on the Mountain States Health Alliance Foundation Board.
Lisa Piercey, MD
Dr. Lisa Piercey is the Founder and CEO of Tristela Strategies and served on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Cabinet as the 14th Commissioner of Health. As Chairman of the Governor's Pandemic Task Force, Dr. Piercey provided leadership throughout the COVID-19 response. Prior to her public service, Piercey spent over a decade as a senior-level operations executive. She has served on numerous boards within the academic, agriculture, health care, and entrepreneurship sectors. After earning her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Lipscomb University, Piercey received her medical degree from ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine and an MBA from Bethel University. She is board certified in both General Pediatrics and Child Abuse Pediatrics and serves as clinical faculty at Vanderbilt University School and as adjunct faculty for the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. She and her husband, David, are West Tennessee natives and have four children.
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.