Chancellor Donde Plowman, in addition to leading the University of Tennessee at Knoxville through a historic period of growth, will approve the budget and oversee financial decisions of the Southeastern Conference in her new role as executive committee president.
Elected May 29, Plowman will begin her two-year term effective July 1. She was an executive member in 2022 and 2023, and she served as vice president of the committee beneath University of Alabama President Stuart Bell from 2023 through 2024.
“I look forward to working with my SEC colleagues an (SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey) over the next two years,” Plowman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Can’t wait to get started!”
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The committee is made up of three SEC officers and four people elected during its annual spring meeting. The elected members include a CEO, director of athletics, senior woman administrator and faculty athletics representative.
Though Plowman’s committee term comes to an end in 2027, she will continue leading UT as chancellor until at least 2029.
All 20 Tennessee programs reached the NCAA postseason or a bowl game in 2023-24, with the Vols winning a baseball national title and reaching the Elite Eight in men’s basketball in a banner year for Tennessee Athletics.
Not only is UT a member of the SEC, but Knoxville is the conference’s birthplace. The SEC was founded in December 1932 at the Farragut Hotel on Gay Street, now the Hyatt Place.
Chancellor Donde Plowman has already committed to leading the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for a few more years, growing the university’s enrollment and building new buildings including one dedicated to Student Success. Now, she can add president of the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee to her priorities for the next two years when she starts July 1.
The full list of executive committee members:
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President: University of Tennessee at Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman
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Vice President: University of Missouri President Mun Choi (will become president in 2027)
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Secretary: Texas A&M Faculty Athletics Representative Paul Batista
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University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce (will become VP in 2027)
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University of Florida Faculty Athletics Representative Chris Janelle
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University of Georgia Athletics Director Josh Brooks
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University Kentucky Senior Woman Administrator Rachel Baker
The election happened during the third day of the SEC’s Spring Meetings, where university presidents, chancellors, coaches and others discussed topics including scheduling, the transfer portal and the College Football Playoff and the pending House v. NCAA settlement.
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee chancellor Plowman elected SEC Executive Committee president