Office of University Advancement
209 Hurt Street • 424 Andy Holt Humanities Building • 731-881-7626 • advancement@utm.edu
Jeanna Swafford
Vice Chancellor of University Advancement
Jeanna is a fundraiser who advocates for the university to alumni and friends. She specializes in planned and deferred giving. Jeanna came to UT Martin in 1992 as assistant director of development; she was named director of development in 1997, assistant vice chancellor in 2011, and associate vice chancellor in 2020. She received the UT Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors Award for Exemplary Service in 2019. Jeanna holds a master’s in strategic communications from UT Martin and a bachelor’s from Murray State in journalism/public relations. She and her husband, Keith Swafford, own a poultry farm in Dresden, TN. She has a son, Curt, and a stepson, Colter.
Jennifer Schlicht
Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement
Jennifer began her career at UTM in 2003 where she worked as the administrative assistant for the Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking for 17 years and served as the assistant to the dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs for a year and a half until joining the University Advancement team in November 2021. She is a 2002 alumna of the University of Tennessee at Martin. She resides in Dresden, TN, with her two sons, Hayden and Cameron.
Office of Alumni Relations
and Annual Giving
600 University Street • 1900 Alumni Way – Dunagan Alumni Center • 731-881-7610 • alumni@utm.edu
Jackie Johnson
Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations and Chief Engagement Officer
Jackie Johnson, a 2008 alumna, joined Alumni Relations in 2016 as the associate director of alumni programs. In 2019, she was promoted to assistant vice chancellor of alumni relations and annul giving. She was raised in Somerville, TN, and began working at UT Martin in 2009. She received her bachelor’s in international studies and MBA from UT Martin. Most recently, she received her Doctorate of Learning and Leadership from UT Chattanooga. She is married to Chris Johnson, a 2009 graduate of UT Martin, and they have two daughters, Claire and Camryn.
Matt Borden
Director of Annual Giving
Matt Borden, a 2014 UTM alumnus and former transfer admissions counselor, joined Alumni Relations in 2019 as the associate director of annual giving. Matt serves as the coordinator of Captain’s Challenge, the UT Martin Engagement Center, and various campus giving initiatives. He was raised in Martin and received his bachelor’s in communications from UT Martin in 2014 and his master’s in higher educational leadership in 2020. Matt lives in Martin with his wife, Kayci, and their daughter, Blair.
Kelley Trevathan
Senior Alumni Relations Assistant
Kelley began her career at UTM in the Development Office in 2006. She joined the Alumni Relations team in March 2008, where she has planned and executed several campus and alumni events, assisting with week-long campus events like I Heart UTM Week and Homecoming, and currently serves as the Student Alumni Council (SAC) Staff Advisor. Kelley and her husband, Richard owner of Trevathan Bros. Machine and Fabrication, have two daughters and reside in Dresden, TN.
Ava Abad
Assistant Director of Alumni Programming
Ava joined the UT Foundation in March 2024. Ava serves as the media support for alumni communications and assists in developing programs and functions for the UT Martin Alumni Relations office. She was raised in Martin and graduated from UT Martin in December 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance. After graduating, she moved to Nashville where she held many positions that helped her advance her knowledge with education programs, event planning, and project management. She currently resides in Fulton with her other half, Harrison, and her dog, Murphy.
Office of Development
600 University Street • 1900 Alumni Way – Dunagan Alumni Center • 731-881-7620 • development@utm.edu
Ben Jones
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development
Ben joined the UT Foundation in September 2017 as the associate director of development; he was named director of development in 2020. He represents the Office of Development as the direct contact for the College of Business & Global Affairs, College of Education, Health & Behavioral Sciences, Academic Affairs, Paul Meek Library, and the UT Martin Somerville Center. Ben received a bachelor’s in 2001 and a master’s in strategic communications in 2020 from UT Martin. He resides in Martin with his daughter, Rebecca.
Laura Suiter
Director of Development and Planned Giving
Laura joined the UT Foundation in August 2016 in the position of assistant athletic director of development. Laura is a 2004 graduate of UT Martin and has served the last 10 years in the pharmaceutical and medical industry. During that time she has held many positions including product training manager and director of marketing. Laura has strong connections to West Tennessee and was born and raised in Union City. She is married to JB Suiter, who currently teaches and coaches in Union City, TN, and they have one child, Cole.
Samantha Hutcherson
Associate Director of Corporate Relations
Samantha “Sam” joined the UT Foundation in June 2022 as the associate director of development for corporate relations where she fundraises and engages with corporations across Northwest Tennessee. Sam has served the last 8 years in the sports marketing and nonprofit industries. During that time she has held many positions as a personal assistant to 3 NFL Hall of Fame athletes and program manager for fundraising with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Coaching for Literacy. Originally from Southern California, Sam married into the Hutcherson family, which is deeply rooted in UTM history with her grandmother in-law having been a professor for UTM for 30+ years, and her father and mother-in law being UTM alumni. Sam is married to Dale Hutcherson, who is a licensed attorney in Martin, and they have one child, Mila.
Colin Hatch
Senior Associate Athletics Director of Development
Colin, a Huntingdon, TN native, is an 2014 alumnus of Union University in Jackson, TN. In the last 5 years, he has gained experience with senior leadership within Industrial Distribution and has 10+ years of experience in business development. As a former collegiate athlete, he is excited to have the opportunity to continue enhancing the student athlete experience at UT Martin. Colin currently resides in Martin, TN with his wife, Dr. Laura Hatch (UTM accounting professor).
Holly Dethloff
Advancement Services Assistant III
Holly joined the development staff in 2009 but is no stranger to UT Martin. Holly received a bachelor’s in health and human performance in 2009 and a master’s in family and consumer science in 2011. Before coming to Office of Development, Holly was employed as a student assistant in the Office of Information Technology Services. Holly and her husband, Jonathan, reside in Sharon, TN, with their sons, Jaxton and Jamesen.
Office of Advancement Services
209 Hurt Street • 424 Andy Holt Humanities Building • 731-881-7628 • advservices@utm.edu
Mary Baker
Assistant Director for Stewardship
Mary has worked at UT Martin since 1989. Prior to coming to Advancement Services, she worked in the College of Business & Global Affairs, College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and Purchasing. Mary completed the UT Martin Office Information Systems certification program and is the recipient of the UT Martin Outstanding Employee Award for the spring 2006 semester. Mary and her husband, Mike, have two daughters, Lauren and Allie.
Makala Christine Sitzes
Assistant Director of Advancement Services
Makala joined the Office of Advancement Services in February 2021 as the Advancement Assistant. She then transitioned to the Gift Record Specialist position in December 2021. Makala earned her Certified Administrative Professional certificate in May 2024 and as of July 2024 she is serving as the Assistant Director of Advancement Services. She is a 2017 UT Martin graduate with a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies and comes from a diverse background of customer service. Makala is a native of Greenfield, TN, where she currently resides.
Savanna Fitzgerald
Gift Records Specialist II
Savanna joined the office of Advancement Services in July 2023. She has experience working in both customer service and administration. She was born and raised in South Fulton, TN, where she currently lives with her husband, Joe. They are expecting their first child in March 2024.
Ashley Miles
Advancement Assistant II
Ashley is a 2015 UT Knoxville graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management. She has previous experience working in higher education and currently resides in Dyersburg with her dog Beau. Ashley is currently working on her Master’s in Business Administration here at UT Martin.