Governor Bill Haslam on Tuesday announced the appointments of seven new members to Tennessee’s higher education boards.

Evan Cope and Adam Jarvis will serve as new members of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). Vicky Gregg, Shalin Shah and Victoria Steinberg will serve as new members of the University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees. Ashley Humphrey and Dr. Bob Raines will serve as members of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR).

The governor serves as chairman of the board of directors for the TBR and UT systems, and in July, Haslam announced his focus on post-secondary education in Tennessee, particularly in the areas of affordability, access, quality and workforce development.

“While college isn’t for everyone, when only 23 percent of Tennesseans have a degree from a four-year institution, we need to do a better job of preparing more students to go to college and to graduate,” Governor Haslam said. “I appreciate the willingness of these men and women to serve the state, and I look forward to working with them as we work to tackle these complex issues.”

Mr. Cope is a partner with the law firm Cope, Hudson, Reed & McCreary, PLLC. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhodes College in 1998, and received his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2001. Mr. Cope’s grandfather served as president of Middle Tennessee State University from 1958 until 1968. He lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, Beth, and Cope will represent the fourth congressional district on THEC.

Ms. Gregg serves as chief executive officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc.  She previously served as a regional vice president for Humana and in other diverse health care environments including hospital administration, clinical care and long term care. Ms. Gregg lives in Chattanooga and will represent the third congressional district on the UT Board of Trustees.

Mr. Jarvis is a 2010 graduate of Upperman High School in Baxter and is currently a junior studying public health at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). He is serving in his second year as clerk of the court for the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature, as a Relay for Life event chair, and previously served as secretary of external affairs for the ETSU Student Government Association. Mr. Jarvis, a Cookeville native, will represent students attending TBR schools on THEC.

Ms. Humphrey is a 2009 graduate of Soddy Daisy High School, and is currently a senior studying accounting at Tennessee Technological University (TTU). She serves as the vice president of the TTU Student Government Association, Relay for Life team captain, and was selected as a student member of the 2012 TTU Presidential Search Advisory Committee. Ms. Humphrey lives in Soddy Daisy and will represent students on the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Mr. Shah is a 2009 graduate of the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, and is currently a senior studying political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where he is a member of the University Honors Program.  He previously served as student government president and parliamentarian, and as the student representative on the Strategic Steering Committee. Mr. Shah, a Chattanooga native, will serve as the non-voting student trustee on the UT Board of Trustees.

Dr. Raines is an associate professor of psychology at Jackson State Community College, where he joined the faculty in 2004, and chaired the Faculty Council for 2011-2012.  He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi.  He is a licensed psychologist and has worked in a variety of mental health settings. Dr. Raines lives in Malesus with his wife, Kate, and will serve as the faculty representative on the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Dr. Steinberg is an associate professor of French at UTC, where she joined the faculty in 1996.  She received her bachelor’s degree in French from Kenyon College, and her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Romance languages and literature from Ohio State University. Dr. Steinberg lives in Hixson with her husband, John, and will serve as the non-voting faculty trustee on the UT Board of Trustees.

Governor Haslam also reappointed Greg Duckett and Emily Reynolds to the Tennessee Board of Regents, and Charles Wharton to the UT Board of Trustees.