APSU Board of Trustees

Austin Peay State University’s Board of Trustees was first convened in 2017 by then Governor Bill Haslam. The exceptional individuals who serve as trustees for Austin Peay State University represent a wealth of experience in both the private and military sectors and provide important oversight and guidance to this institution.

Members of the Board of Trustees are:

Katherine Cannata (Term expires in 2028)

Katherine Johnson Cannata, dealer principal for Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group, is a Clarksville native who worked for Price Waterhouse in Atlanta, before returning to join her family’s car dealership. A graduate of Clarksville High School, she earned a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she played Division I tennis.

Cannata worked in public accounting as an auditor for Price Waterhouse in Atlanta for nine years. In that role, she was able to learn aspects of several different types of industries, from entertainment businesses to food companies.

Cannata returned to Clarksville to work with her father, the late Sid Johnson, in the growing Wyatt-Johnson dealerships. She steadily worked her way up, finally being named dealer principal of the company with more than 300 local employees. Wyatt-Johnson purchased the local Toyota dealership in 2012, adding that brand to the company’s list that includes Buick-GMC, Hyundai, Subaru, Mazda, Kia and Volkswagen. The Nashville Business Journal named Wyatt-Johnson one of Middle Tennessee’s top-earning businesses owned by a woman.

Cannata is an active member of the Clarksville community, having served on several local organizations and as chair of the Aspire Clarksville Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Nancy Gibson, Faculty Trustee (Term expires in 2027)

Nancy S. Gibson is a Professor and the Grants & Special Projects Librarian at Austin Peay State University’s Woodward Library. A faculty member since 2004, she leads efforts to secure funding for innovative library services, technologies, and facilities that enrich teaching, learning, and research. Notably, she obtained a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support these initiatives.

As Subject Librarian for five departments in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Gibson has authored peer-reviewed articles on library services, information literacy, and distance education. She frequently presents at professional conferences, including the Tennessee Library Association, and has contributed to research on collaborations and emerging methodologies in librarianship.

Gibson’s dedication to student success is evident through programs like the Personal Librarian pilot and Peay Read, which has brought prominent authors to campus. Gibson also advances community education by offering workshops for teachers and school media specialists across Middle Tennessee.

Her extensive service to APSU includes leadership roles such as Secretary of the Faculty Senate and membership on committees including the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, Online Course Committee, and Research Council. Nationally, she served as Chair of the University Library Section within the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Gibson holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in International and Area Studies from Kalamazoo College. Having lived abroad and traveled widely before settling in Clarksville over 20 years ago, she brings a global perspective and passion for serving APSU’s Peayple.

Don Jenkins (Term expires in 2026)

Don Jenkins, president and CEO of Jenkins & Wynne Ford-Lincoln-Honda is an avid supporter of football and basketball, and he has served as past president of the APSU Foundation, co-chair of the APSU “Changing Minds, Changing Lives” Capital Campaign and a member of the APSU Presidential Circle of Advisors.

Jenkins attended Clarksville High School, and he later earned his Bachelor of Arts at Rhodes College in Memphis. He returned to Clarksville to work in a family business that, under his leadership, would become one of the top automobile dealerships in the nation. He is also co-owner with Clay Smith of Pennyrile Ford in Hopkinsville.

For six years, Jenkins served as Region 7 Commissioner for the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission. He is an organizer and director of Cumberland Bank, vice chairman of the bank’s executive committee, 2013-14 chairman of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Board, 2014-15 Chairman of the Economic Development Council, co-chair for two building campaigns at First Baptist Church and two-time chairman for Military Affairs at the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce.

Jenkins is often recognized for his business and philanthropic work, being named Tennessee’s Time Dealer of the Year in 2010, 13-time winner of the American Cancer Society’s “Best of Clarksville” award, six-time winner of the Honda President’s Award and 10-time winner of Ford’s President’s Award. He was also presented with the 2013 Lincoln President’s Award and the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region’s Ben C. Parks Award. Jenkins recently received the APSU Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award, the Alumni Association’s Wendell Gilbert Award and the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Chancellors Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.

Curtis G. Johnson (Term expires in 2031)

Curtis G. Johnson, retired Tennessee legislator and small business owner, has dedicated more than two decades to serving Montgomery County and the state of Tennessee. Johnson has held numerous leadership positions, including Deputy Speaker at the time of his retirement in November 2024 from the Tennessee House of Representatives. Throughout his career, he has worked to improve education, strengthen benefits for military veterans, enhance the quality of life for local residents, and secure critical funding and other state resources for the region, including significant support for Austin Peay State University.

Beyond his legislative career, Johnson’s contributions to public service and the community have been widely acknowledged by organizations such as the Department of the Army, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Nashville Regional Council for initiatives that benefit the community and state.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Austin Peay State University in 1986. His support of APSU has been recognized through numerous honors, including the Govs Who Lead Award and the APSU Presidential Medal of Distinction—the highest award presented by the University president, celebrating exemplary volunteer service, strong dedication, and remarkable contributions to the University community.

In April 2025, the APSU Board of Trustees approved naming the atrium in Austin Peay’s new Health Professions Building the Curtis G. Johnson Atrium in recognition of his significant impact.

Ben Kimbrough, Jr. (Term expires in 2031)

Ben Kimbrough, Jr. retired in 2022 after a distinguished 45-year career at Bank of America, where he served as Credit Risk Executive overseeing the bank’s Commercial Transportation portfolio in North America, in addition to leading credit risk for the Commercial Bank’s Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi portfolios. Throughout his tenure in Risk Management, he also managed commercial markets in St. Louis, Houston (South Texas), Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Arkansas.

Kimbrough earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Tennessee and is a native and resident of Clarksville, TN.

Following retirement, he served as a Vestry Member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Clarksville and currently serves on the boards of the Clarksville Custom House Museum Foundation, the Austin Peay University Foundation, the Fort Campbell Historical Foundation, and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation.

In 2021, Kimbrough and his wife, Beverly Ford Kimbrough, established the Ben and Beverly Kimbrough Scholarship at APSU in honor of Beverly’s parents, Ray and Margaret Ford—lifelong residents of the Port Royal community. Ray Ford, a 1958 graduate of Austin Peay and former county commissioner, and Margaret Ford, an active member of the Country Women’s Club, were dedicated to civic and community service. Fully endowed in 2024, the scholarship supports full-time College of Business students who are graduates of Montgomery County high schools, with preference for renewal in subsequent years. The Kimbroughs view the scholarship as both a tribute to the Fords’ deep community involvement and a lasting investment in future generations of Austin Peay students.

Valencia May, DDS (Term expires in 2025)

Dr. Valencia May, general dentist and owner of Plaza Dental Offices in Memphis, graduated second in her class from Shelbyville High School, where she also participated in softball, track and basketball. She then headed north to Austin Peay State University, where she excelled as a student and was a walk-on for the APSU basketball team as a freshman. 

In 1985, May graduated from the University with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, with a minor in mathematics.

A few months later, May enrolled in the University of Tennessee’s College of Dentistry, where she graduated in the top 20 percent of her class. She then embarked on a seven-year career with the United States Air Force, providing dental care for enlistees at bases in Michigan and Mississippi. After leaving the military, she returned to Memphis to open her own dental practice.

In 2003, May was honored with Austin Peay’s Young Alumna Award. She is also a member of the University’s African American Alumni Chapter. She is member of the Memphis Dental Society, and she served as chair of that organization’s Dental Health Committee. She is also a board member for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry’s Alumni Association. She is a member of the Tennessee Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Keri McInnis (Term expires in 2026)

Keri McInnis serves as senior vice president and financial advisor for Pinnacle’s Green Hills office in Nashville, TN.

McInnis began her career in financial services in 1995. She came to Pinnacle in 2002 from Union Planters Bank, where she was vice president and branch manager of its Green Hills location.

McInnis was awarded Union Planters’ 2002 UP Best Award in recognition of her sales performance and community involvement. Prior to Union Planters Bank, McInnis served for five years as senior financial specialist and assistant vice president at First Union National Bank, where she received the 1998 First Union Zenith Award. McInnis was chosen as one of Nashville’s “Top Thirty under 30” in 2002 by Business Nashville and Nashville’s “Top Forty under 40” in 2003 by The Tennessean.

McInnis is a 1995 graduate of Austin Peay State University (APSU) and is an alumna of the university’s prestigious President’s Emerging Leaders Program. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee appointed her to serve on APSU’s Board of Trustees in August 2020. McInnis also served on the APSU Foundation Board of Trustees and is a past member and founding board chairman of the APSU College of Business advisory board. In 2013, she was appointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and served two terms on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation Board.

In addition, McInnis is a Junior League of Nashville sustainer and has served on the boards of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra League, TN Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Nashville Wine Auction. In addition, she has served in various leadership roles with numerous other nonprofit organizations.

Robin Mealer (Term expires in 2026)

Retired Brig. Gen. Robin Mealer, an Austin Peay State University alumna, is director of the U.S. Army Manpower Analysis Agency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She earned a Master of Arts degree in special education at APSU while she was professor of military science in the University’s ROTC program from 1996-2000.

Mealer earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from York College of Pennsylvania and upon graduation was commissioned as an air defense artillery officer, with orders to initial entry rotary wing training. She has served primarily in aviation and force management assignments at various installations, including Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Upon selection as a force management officer in 2000, she was assigned to the Pentagon in various duty positions in the Army, culminating with an assignment as the chief of the Force Management and Integration Division. She led Army chief of staff initiatives to transform and build Army force structure capabilities, develop a RESET program to restore strategic depth, gain approval on additional end strength and deployed to Afghanistan to assess Headquarters and Joint Manning documents of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. She was deployed to Iraq for 16 months to advise Iraqi Ministry of Defense General Officers on the development of their institutional capabilities to generate, train and sustain their forces.

Mealer assumed her current duties on Dec. 12, 2011, and as director, she is responsible for the oversight of all manpower determination policies and analytical methodologies used in manpower requirements validation for the Army’s generating force. In addition to her bachelor’s degree from York College and master’s degree from APSU, Mealer has a master’s in military science from the Command and General Staff College and a master’s in national security and strategy from the Army War College. She has attended a wide variety of military schools, culminating with her graduation from the Joint Force Staff College in 2010.

Mike O’Malley: Board Chair (Term expires in 2028)

Mike O’Malley, an Air Force veteran, earned his college degree from Ohio University. When he moved to Clarksville in 1988, the successful businessman saw how important APSU was to the entire community.

O’Malley came to Clarksville to work for Wendy’s of Bowling Green—a franchise operating 18 restaurants. In 1990, he became a partner in the business and helped it grow to 56 Wendy’s restaurants in four states. He was inducted into the Wendy’s Hall of Fame in 2010, and he became CEO and senior partner of Wendy’s of Bowling Green in 2012. The company has been the recipient of all of Wendy’s major awards, including the prestigious Founders Award, given to the top franchisee in the system.

During this impressive business career, O’Malley found time to support APSU in a number of capacities. He served as past chairman of the Austin Peay Foundation, a member of the Tower Club and a member of the APSU Red Coat Society. He is a long time APSU Athletic Department supporter and corporate sponsor of the Wendy’s Golf Tournament, benefiting the APSU golf program.

O’Malley has served Clarksville in numerous capacities, and in 2006, he was presented with the William O. Beach Citizen of the Year Award. He currently serves on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Board.

Mike Rainey (Term expires in 2031)

Mike Rainey, Senior Vice President of Legends Bank, has spent 35 years of experience in the banking industry. Rainey is a graduate of Clarksville High School and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Austin Peay State University in 1983. During his time at university, he served as President of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, was a member of the Interfraternity Council, and acted as Senator at Large in the Student Government Association. He graduated from the Barret School of Banking and Leadership Clarksville and is a strong supporter of Austin Peay Athletics.

As a longtime Clarksville-Montgomery County resident, Rainey has been deeply involved in community leadership. He has served as Campaign Chair and Past President of the United Way of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Past President of the Clarksville Rotary Club, Past Chairman of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Northwest Middle Tennessee, and Past President of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Rainey currently serves as a director for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and as a Board Member for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Phil Roe: Board Vice-Chair (Term expires in 2031)

Dr. Phil Roe, a retired U.S. congressman who represented Tennessee’s First District, graduated from Austin Peay in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1970 and then served two years in the United States Army Medical Corps. After being discharged, Roe operated a successful OB/GYN practice in Johnson City for 31 years.

Over the years, Roe has been one of APSU’s most active alumni, serving on the APSU National Alumni Association Executive Board as president, vice president and past president. He has also served as vice president of the APSU Foundation Board of Trustees and a member of the steering committee for APSU’s first capital campaign, which exceeded its initial goal months ahead of schedule.

Through his leadership, the APSU Class of 1967 raised about $55,000, earmarked to purchase new equipment for science students. He subsequently established a scholarship in honor of Dr. Durward Harris, APSU professor emeritus of chemistry, who had a profound influence on Roe’s life. Because of his sustained generosity to his alma mater over the years, a wing in the Sundquist Science Complex was named for Roe.

In 2006, a generous gift from Roe funded the establishment of the Phil Roe Academic Center for Student Athletes. He is the recipient of the Tennessee Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy and the APSU Distinguished Achievement Award, one of the University’s most prestigious honors.

On Nov. 8, 2008, Roe was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Austin Peay alumnus to serve in congress.

Gracey Suggs, Student Trustee (Term expires in 2026)

Gracey Suggs is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Medical, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, along with minors in Psychology and Pre-Professional Health.

Suggs enrolled at Austin Peay in 2021 and has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service. She currently serves as President of the Eta Pi Chapter of the Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) Biological Honor Society and was the Junior Class Senator for the 2023–2024 Student Government Association.

Suggs's campus involvement spans a wide range of impactful organizations, including the National Society of Leadership and Success, the APSU Honors Program, the President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP), and Omicron Delta Kappa. She has served as an Honors Ambassador, a PELP Mentor, and a member of the Honors/PELP Council.

Suggs extracurricular activities extend to APSU Athletics, where she was a dedicated member of the APSU Cheerleading Team. For the 2023- 2024 season, she was awarded the “Total Gov” concept award. She also represented the cheer team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participated in the Elevating Leaders and Enhancing the Collegiate Transition (ELECT) Program.

In the summer of 2024, Suggs was one of seven students nationwide selected to participate in the Vanderbilt Excellence in Cancer Research, Education, and Leadership (V-EXCEL) Program at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, where she gained hands-on experience in cancer research. She also contributes to community initiatives as a member of the Project Yesu Inaugural Junior Advisory Board.

Suggs is expected to graduate in May 2026.