Carol Coley McDonald

President
Carthage, TN

Carol Coley McDonald is the Assistant Commissioner of Policy and Legislation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. She began her lifetime career with agriculture on her family farm in Macon County, focusing on 4-H activities and events during her youth and while in high school. Carol attended the University of Tennessee where she was on the Livestock and Meats Judging Teams and acquired her BS degree in Animal Science. After working on a diversified farming operation, serving as a 4-H volunteer, and raising her two daughters, Carol worked with UT Extension as the Smith County 4-H Agent.

Missy Kitts Photo

Missy Kitts

Treasurer
Knoxville, TN

Missy serves as the budget director for UT Extension. She is a member of UT Extension’s senior administrative team and provides leadership and direction for policy and procedure development impacting fiscal operations. She began her career with the University in July 1986. She has worked in the Departments of Animal Science, Agricultural and Extension Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences. She and her husband Greg have two children and three grandchildren.

Jamie Harris

Secretary
Morrison, TN

Jamie Harris began her Extension career as a 4-H agent in Warren County in 1989, where she and her co-workers led a 4-H program known for excellence in club programming, judging teams and record book/portfolio competition. In 2012, she was promoted to work in the Central Region office as an area 4-H specialist, where she mentored 4-H agents and program assistants and oversaw regional teen activities, including the 4-H All Stars program. She joined the state 4-H staff in 2021, with responsibilities in teen programming, leadership, citizenship, and the international exchange program. Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Tennessee Tech University and a master’s degree in agricultural and extension education services from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Terry Adkins

Board Member
Sevierville, TN

Dr. Royce T. (Terry) Adkins was an active 4-Her in Robertson County, participating in Public Speaking, Citizenship, in addition to other projects. He served as the 1976 4-H Congress Governor and was also a National Winner in Citizenship. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with Highest Honors and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree with Honors from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston TX. He trained in both Internal Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology at Vanderbilt Medical Center and is Board Certified in both Obstetrics/Gynecology and Obesity Medicine.

Dr. Adkins was one of the founders of Tennessee Women’s Care, PC in Nashville, TN where he spent 25 years as a practicing OB-GYN physician and minimally invasive surgeon. For almost 10 years, he served as Sr. Vice President for Medical Affairs at Myriad Genetic Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT. He is currently a healthcare consultant with emphasis on Women’s Health and Precision Medicine.

Dr. Adkins is married to Cheri (Mitchell), who was also an active 4-Her from Roberson County. Cheri was a State Winner in Personal Development, and graduated from the University of TN, Knoxville with Highest Honors. They currently live in Sevier County and have three sons who graduated from UT in addition to two grandchildren, all who live in Nashville.

Victoria Bowling

Board Member
Clinton, TN

Judge Victoria (Hopper) Bowling was an active 4-Her in Henderson County for 9 years. In 1985, she served as Tennessee 4-H Congress Speaker of the House. Since that time, she has served as a member of the University of Tennessee Collegiate 4-H Team, as well as an adult leader after graduating from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Honors/Thesis Political Science Program.  In 1993, Judge Bowling graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law, receiving the Chancellor’s Award for her contributions and tenure as Student Bar Association President. She practiced law in Knox and Anderson Counties for nearly 30 years before being elected as the first woman to serve as Anderson County General Sessions Judge in September of 2022. She was recently elected to preside over the 2025 Tennessee General Sessions Judges’ Conference.

Judge Bowling and her husband, David have two daughters, Madison and Jordan. Both daughters were active in 4-H, with Jordan serving as State All Star Chief in 2019.

Tom Broyles

Thomas Broyles

Board Member
Mt. Juliet, TN

Dr. Broyles currently serves as the 4-H State Program Leader for Tennessee State University.  In addition to his Extension duties, he mentors master’s candidates in the field of teaching and learning.

Katie Collins

Board Member
Charlotte, TN

Katie Collins was an active Dickson County 4-Her where her main projects were Dairy, Public Speaking, and Healthy Living. She served on the Tennessee 4-H State Council for a year as the representative at Large. She is now a student at the University of Tennessee pursuing a degree in Food and Agricultural Business. In the future, she hopes to practice agricultural law.

Matt Fennel

Board Member
Obion, TN

Matt Fennel was an active 4-H Member in Obion County. He received a degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Matt currently serves as a regional field services administrator for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. He also serves on the executive council for Tennessee 4-H Alumni & Friends.

Kathy Finley

Board Member
Springfield, TN

Kathy Brooks Finley has a long history of Tennessee 4-H participation.  She is a former Robertson County 4-H member who participated in the dairy, leadership and citizenship projects.  Until she started work with UT Extension, she served as a volunteer in three counties.  Having received her B.S. in Home Economics from UT Knoxville, she completed her M.S. in Human Environmental Sciences at UT Martin. Kathy currently works as an extension agent in Robertson County.  She and her husband, Frank, have four children and twelve grandchildren.

Joe huffine

Joe Huffine

Board Member
Murfreesboro, TN

Joe Huffine was an active 4-H member in Washington County. From showing livestock, public speaking, leadership projects to serving as Congress Governor. Huffine is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Animal Science and Ag Business. Over his 33 year career in the Co-op system he has held several positions and roles. Today he is the CEO of ProTrition Feed, a joint venture between Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and Purina, a Land O’ Lakes company. ProTrition serves the Southeast with its family of feeds.

Laura Grace Jenkins

Laura Grace Jenkins

Board Member
Rogersville, TN

Laura Grace Jenkins was a 4-H member in Hawkins County. Her main projects were Line & Design and Leadership. She was active across various aspects of Tennessee 4-H and served in several leadership roles including Eastern Region All-Star Chief and Tennessee 4-H State Council President during the 2019-2020 year. Laura Grace is now a student at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where she studies Food & Agricultural Business. She plans to later pursue a law degree.

Glen Liford

Glen Liford

Board Member
Clinton, TN

Glen serves as Communications Manager for Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) in LaVergne and is editor of The Cooperator, the Co-op’s membership publication. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He worked for TFC from 1990 to 2005 in the communications department before returning to East Tennessee in 2005 to become marketing manager for an international construction equipment manufacturer. He returned to TFC in 2017.

Glen was a 4-H member in Union County and was active in the entomology, photography, and sheep projects and participated on a variety of judging teams.

Ashley Stokes

Dr. Ashley Stokes

Board Member
Knoxville, TN

Ashley M. Stokes, who previously served as associate vice president for engagement and extension and deputy director of extension at Colorado State University, has been in her new role as the leader of UT Extension since February 22, 2021.
Stokes is the first woman to serve as dean of UT Extension in its more than 100 years of service to Tennesseans. Stokes has a broad history of service to the national cooperative extension system. Her duties at CSU included responsibilities with CSU Extension and CSU Online. She also was part of the leadership for the CSU Office of Community and Economic Development; the Colorado Water Center; and international projects in Ethiopia, Japan, and the Western Pacific region focused on university collaboration with communities to address local, regional and global challenges. She previously served as assistant dean of the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Stokes has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and both a DVM and PhD from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, where she also served on the faculty in veterinary clinical sciences. Starting in 2009, she spent six years at the University of Hawai‘i, where she was the sole veterinary extension specialist serving the state and several territories throughout the Western Pacific. She conducted veterinary research while at UH and taught pre-veterinary and animal science courses. She also has an MBA from Colorado State University with a focus on marketing and communications.

Glenn Thackston

Board Member
Knoxville, TN

Glenn Thackston was an active 4-H member in Cumberland County. He showed livestock and was on a number of judging teams. He was active in home grounds, public speaking and other projects. He has been with Learfield/The Vol Network since 1996 in a number of roles and currently serves as Executive Director. Prior to that he worked at the Southeastern Conference as Assistant Director of Media Services. Thackston graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Communications/Public Relations and a master’s degree in Sports Administration. Glenn and his wife Shannon have three children, two of which are current UT students.

Martha Jo Tolley

Board Member
Knoxville, TN

Martha Jo Tolley is Professor Emeritus and Former State 4-H Leader for the University of Tennessee 4-H Program. Her 4-H involvement began as a 4-H member in Decatur County. She served as a county 4-H Agent in Hawkins and in Anderson Counties before joining the state 4-H Staff with responsibilities for youth leadership development, curriculum development and 4-H event management. She served as the founding president of the Tennessee Association of Extension 4-H Workers and, following retirement as the State President and as State Secretary/Treasurer of the UTIA Retirees Association. She has been honored with induction into the National 4-H Hall of Fame.

Tim Williams

Board Member
Union City, TN

Tim grew up on a small livestock farm in west Tennessee and lives there today with his wife Tammy. He became involved with 4-H in the fourth grade and continued through high school to exhibit hogs at the local county fair. Tim has had a long career with the Farm Credit System and today serves as Sr. Vice President, Ag Lending for Farm Credit Mid-America.