Our Team

Danny White’s innovative and forward-thinking approach to the rapidly evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics primed University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman to name him Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics on Jan. 21, 2021.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, White was named a NACDA Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year in the spring of 2019. In 2018, SBJ named him one of the six most influential people in sports business, while Orlando Magazine tabbed him as the area’s most powerful person in sports. In 2020, Stadium rated White No. 4 nationally on its list of athletics directors based on the combined success of his coaching hires in football and men’s basketball.

White graduated from Notre Dame in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He earned master’s degrees in both business administration and sports administration from Ohio University and completed a doctorate degree in higher education from Ole Miss in 2016.

White comes from a family deeply involved in intercollegiate athletics. His father, Kevin, was the longtime vice president and director of athletics at Duke (and previously held that same role at Notre Dame, Arizona State, Tulane, Maine and Loras College). His brother, Michael, is the head men’s basketball coach at Florida. His brother, Brian, is the vice president and director of athletics at Florida Atlantic. His sister, Mariah, is the assistant athletics director for administration at SMU.

Danny and his wife, Shawn, have four children: Aidan, Molly, Caitlin and James.

Hart comes to Knoxville after having spent nearly two years overseeing major gifts fundraising at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to that, he spent two separate stints working alongside Danny White at both Central Florida and Buffalo.

At UCF, Hart helped to build the Knights’ premium seating program from the ground up and engaged multiple corporate partners through hospitality and entertainment initiatives to generate more than $1 million in annual premium revenue. In 2019, for the first time in school history, UCF sold out of football season tickets.

Before he transitioned to Central Florida, Hart was instrumental in generating significant revenue increases at Buffalo. From fiscal years 2014 through 2016, the Bulls experienced annual cash growth of 19 percent, 69 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

Hart also helped to modernize Buffalo’s annual fund, introducing per-seat giving and expanded geographical outreach. He was promoted to lead Buffalo’s major gift team in July of 2015 and guided UB’s Shareholders Society through a successful $18 million campaign that resulted in the completion of a new indoor fieldhouse.

Hart served as a development assistant at Long Beach State in 2010 prior to attending Ohio University and serving as a graduate assistant in the Bobcat Club. At Ohio, he concentrated on football premium-seat allocation and donor parking while also assisting senior development staff with annual fund solicitations and operations.

Hart is a native of State College, Pennsylvania, and a 2009 Yale graduate. He was a starting linebacker at Yale and was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2006 Ivy League championship team. He went on to earn master’s degrees from both Ohio (MBA/MSA) and Buffalo (Education).

During a lengthy tenure at UCF, Kommer ascended to the role of associate AD for major gifts. He most recently helped manage the strategic direction of UCF’s major gifts team, with a focus on donor prospecting and stewardship.

He oversaw fundraising for the completion of a $3.3 million baseball stadium expansion and a baseball locker room renovation in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Prior to that, he played a key role on the UCF development team that raised more than $70 million over a five-year span for more than 10 capital projects and facility renovations that impacted multiple sport programs.

During that same span, Kommer also procured significant philanthropic commitments in the form of endowments, cash pledges, capital projects and estate/planned gifts.

Early in Kommer’s career in intercollegiate athletics—which began as a ticket-sales intern at UCF in the fall of 2007—he gained wide-ranging experience in ticket sales and development. During his tenure as UCF’s premium seating manager from 2012-13, he set then-overall premium revenue highs for both football and basketball premium seating while initiating a pair of annual-giving campaigns and generating more than $3 million in revenue.

Kommer earned a degree in Sports Management from the University of Florida in 2007 and an MBA from UCF in 2021.

A native of Palmyra, New York, Kommer and his wife, Ali, have a son, Chase, and a daughter, Sophie.

White comes to Knoxville after three years as the assistant AD for development at UNLV, where he oversaw all annual giving, internal operations and communications efforts for the Rebel Athletic Fund. He also served as a major gift officer, was a member of UNLV’s senior staff and external leadership team and was the secondary sport administrator for women’s volleyball.

Prior to his time at UNLV, White made significant impact in development efforts as an associate director at the University of Georgia, where he maintained oversight of the Basketball Enhancement Fund and the Georgia Baseball Fund—both of which set record highs during his tenure. During his stint in Athens, White also closed more than $1 million in gifts supporting UGA’s Magill Society.

After receiving both an undergraduate and graduate degree from Western Kentucky, White served as assistant director with the Flynn Fund at Boston College. In that role, he managed all donor-based seating initiatives along with sales and management of luxury suites, which had a 100-percent occupancy rate during his tenure.

A native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, White and his wife, Courtney, have a son, Maxwell, and a daughter, Madelyn.

Megan Kain joined the Tennessee Fund office in April 2005 and currently serves as Assistant Athletics Director for Development. In this role, she is responsible for leading capital campaign efforts and donor recognition, securing leadership gifts, managing basketball and baseball premium seating as well as overseeing several team members and serving as the liaison for the Tennessee Athletics Hospitality staff.

Prior to Tennessee, Megan served as Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions with Seminole Athletic Marketing at Florida State.  Additionally, she has experience in intercollegiate athletics roles at the Naval Academy, the America East Conference, and the University of Delaware along with professional experience with Comcast-Spectacor and Walt Disney World through the Walt Disney World College Program.

Originally from Norristown, Pennsylvania, Megan completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Delaware in 2000 and Master’s at the University of Tennessee in 2004 while serving as a Marketing Graduate Assistant.  She enjoys playing tennis and volunteering in the community, especially with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.  Megan and her daughter, Emily, reside in Knoxville.

Patrick joined the Tennessee Fund in 2021 as the Director of Development Strategy & Analytics. He is responsible for providing leads, insight and value to development officers, while also collaborating with the development team on portfolio analysis and prospect management.

Crowley comes to Tennessee from the University of Pittsburgh where he served as the Assistant Director of Development, Prospect Analytics & Financial Operations since 2019. Patrick received his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. While at Duke, he worked on three student projects for the Duke Athletics Department. While at Duke, Crowley also interned for the Washington Nationals baseball team, focusing on business strategy and analytics related to ticketing, marketing and customer experience.

Before pursuing his MBA, Crowley worked for a boutique management consulting firm based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area where he was tasked with managing multiple strategic projects for Fortune 500 clients in the cable and telecom space both domestically and internationally.

A 2014 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Crowley majored in finance and played on the men’s basketball team. During college, he also met his now wife Meg, a fellow ND graduate.

Elizabeth joined the Tennessee Events & Hospitality team as the Director in March of 2022. In addition to working closely with the team and overseeing daily office operations, she also manages premium seating, hospitality and football operations in Neyland Stadium.

Prior to joining the team, Elizabeth served as Director of Catering Sales for The Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, OH, where she produced hundreds of events ranging from intimate weddings and social gatherings to large-scale corporate and non-profit functions. She and her family lived in the greater Cleveland area for more than 6 years.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations and minor in Sport Management from East Tennessee State University in 2012. She served as a Sports Information Department Intern for Milligan College from 2011-2012 and an intern in the TAH office from 2012-2013. Additionally, she has vast experience with boutique catering and advertising companies.

She is originally from Strawberry Plains, TN and now resides in Knoxville with her husband, Alex, and their two daughters, Isabella and Adeline.

Ally Shortt joined the Tennessee Fund staff in May of 2018 and currently serves as a Gift Records Specialist. Prior to this role she worked as a Development Assistant in the Tennessee Fund office from May 2018 to May 2019.

Ally is originally from Englewood, FL. She graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Political Science and Sport Management in 2016 and completed her Master’s in Sport Management in 2018. During her time at Florida State she worked in the FSU Ticket Office as a Ticket Operations intern and with the Seminole Boosters annual giving team.

JaVonte’ Ashford joined the Tennessee Fund in October 2021 and currently serves as a Director of Development. He is responsible for identifying and securing major gifts in support of UT Athletics.

Ashford comes to Tennessee from East Tennessee State University where he served as director of development for the College of Business and Technology. Prior to his time at ETSU, Ashford held several roles in athletics, including assistant athletic director at Emmanuel College in Royston, GA, and associate head wrestling coach and game day administrator at King University in Bristol, TN.

Ashford is originally from Roanoke, VA. A 2009 graduate of King University, he was a four-year starter on the wrestling team and the program’s first ever All-American. He went on to earn a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from McKendree University in Lebanon, IL and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Education in Global Sports Leadership at ETSU

Carter Young joined the Tennessee Fund in October 2021 and currently serves as Associate Director of Development. He is responsible for identifying and securing major gifts in support of UT Athletics. Carter comes to Tennessee from the University of Arizona where he served as the Assistant Director of Development Operations and Benefits fulfillment. 

Carter is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. He received a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Utah. Additionally, Carter received a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters of Sports Business Management from the University of Central Florida. While at UCF, he worked for the Championship Resources Department as a Graduate Assistant. Carter also served as a Graduate Assistant for The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

Carter resides in Knoxville with his wife Megan and their dog Finn.

Stevie Hamer joined the Tennessee Fund staff in December of 2019.  His current role is Assistant Director of Development.  This position entails working with a donor portfolio of premium seats, annual fund, endowment and major gift donors.  He is also responsible for promoting and generating new season ticket purchases for all sports at all levels.

Prior to joining the Tennessee Fund, Stevie served as the Director of Athletics at Apostolic Christian School of Knoxville, TN where he served in this capacity for seven years.  Stevie is a graduate of the University of Tennessee where he majored in Communication and Information Sciences. He was also a four-year letter winner while playing basketball for the Big Orange from 1992-95.

Stevie Hamer is a native of Grand Junction, TN and his wife, Cher Hamer is from Richmond, IN.  Stevie and Cher have three children- Isabella, Malachi, and Penelope and currently reside in Powell, TN. Stevie is thrilled to back on the team once again in a professional capacity!

Alec Bartow joined the Tennessee Fund in June 2022 and currently serves as the Associate Director of Development. In his role, Bartow focuses on identifying and securing major gifts in support of UT Athletics.

Bartow comes to Tennessee from the University of Alabama at Birmingham after serving 5 ½ years as an Associate Director of Development within Blazer Boosters. In his role, he managed all aspects of donor relations including annual fund renewals, stewardship, and benefit fulfillment. In addition, Bartow was charged with driving new memberships to grow the annual fund while also assisting in raising major gifts through cash pledges, planned gifts, and endowments. During his time, the Blazer Boosters team surpassed $5 million cash received for the 6^th time out of the past 7 years, while also setting all-time records with 1,765 scholarship donors, 2,050 in total donors, and $2.7 million in scholarship revenue.

Prior to arriving at UAB in December 2016, Bartow worked at Bristol Motor Speedway. He supported the Corporate Sales and Marketing Department during Bristol’s Biggest Year Ever which included the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol. Bartow assisted with the daily operations leading into each event and worked with local and regional businesses to ensure fulfillment of sponsorship packages.

A native of Birmingham, AL, Bartow graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2015 with a degree in Sports Management. During his time at ETSU, he assisted the development office as an intern and served as a student manager for the men’s basketball program.

Alec and his wife, Kacy, have identical twin girls: Teagan and Emerson.

Brittney Larkin joined the Tennessee Fund in August 2023 and currently serves as an Associate Director of Stewardship & Donor Experience.

Brittney comes to Tennessee from The University of Notre Dame where she served as an Assistant Director of Premium Experiences.  

She is originally from Keller, Texas and received a BBA in Marketing from Texas Christian University. Additionally, Brittney received a Master’s of Sport Management from Southern Methodist University. While completing her graduate degree at SMU, Brittney served as a Marketing Associate with the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Additionally, she interned with REVELxp in the TCU Frog Club. She is excited to be a part of Tennessee Athletics and explore Knoxville!

Candra joined the Tennessee Fund in December of 2021 as the Associate Director of Signature Events and Donor Experience. Previously she served as the Director of Tennessee Athletics Hospitality for nearly three years.

Prior to serving in Tennessee Athletics Hospitality, Candra spent two seasons as the Director of Football On-Campus Recruiting and Operations Assistant at Wake Forest University. Additionally, Candra worked in football recruiting and operations at Middle Tennessee State University from 2015-2017.

As the Director of Tennessee Athletics Hospitality, Candra oversaw all premium seating and hospitality operations in Neyland Stadium and on Tennessee Football game days.

Candra graduated with a B.S. in Public Relations with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, where she served as a Football Recruiting Assistant through 2014. She also completed her master’s degree in Leisure and Sport Management from MTSU in 2017.

Candra is a Knoxville native and a Vol for Life!

Tyler Rohrbaugh joined the Tennessee Fund office in November of 2018 and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Development. Prior to this role, Tyler worked in the Tennessee Athletic Ticket Office as a Ticket Office Assistant and Senior Sales Associate starting in January of 2016.

Tyler is originally from Murfreesboro, TN and earned his B.S. in Sports Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in May of 2013 and M.S. in Sport Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University in December of 2014. During his time at UTC and MTSU, he worked in their Athletic Ticket Offices.

Tyler and his wife, Ashleigh, reside in Knoxville, TN.

Jake Robbins joined the Tennessee Fund staff in January of 2022 and currently serves as the Associate Director of Annual Giving. He comes from the University of Missouri where he was the Assistant Director of Stewardship & Events since 2019.

Prior to the University of Missouri, Jake worked for Paragon Marketing in Chicago, IL where he helped with marketing efforts for Gatorade. Jake is originally from New Lenox, IL. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2018, where he was a football student-athlete, with a degree in Business Administration.  He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration.

Maddie Burns joined the Tennessee Fund staff in May 2020 as a Development Assistant. She was promoted to Assistant Director of the Annual Fund in August 2021.

Maddie is originally from Richmond, Virginia. She received a B.S. in Management from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA, where she was a soccer student-athlete and Academic All-American. As an undergraduate student-athlete, Maddie was on the NCAA Division III National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee serving as Chair of the committee in her final year. Additionally, Maddie received a Master’s of Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Sport Leadership in the spring of 2020. While completing her graduate degree at VCU, Maddie served as a Development Graduate Assistant in the Ram Athletic Fund. She is excited to further enhance her development career at Tennessee and to explore Knoxville!

Kellen Blanchett joined the Tennessee Fund in July 2022 and currently serves as an Assistant Director of Development. He is responsible for identifying and securing major gifts in support of UT Athletics.

Blanchett comes to Tennessee from Texas Christian University where he served as the Development Specialist for Learfield Amplify and the Frog Club. 

Prior to his time at TCU, Blanchett held several roles in athletics. He served as the Development Assistant at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. While at Forrest City High School in Forrest City, AR, Blanchett was the Assistant Track and Field coach and Director of Intramural Sports. Blanchett is originally from Forrest City, AR. 

Blanchett obtained his B.S in Exercise Science at Arkansas State University. Blanchett was also a two-sport athlete at A-State and is a three-time Sun Belt Champion in both football and track & field. 

Michael Nguyen joined the Tennessee Fund staff in August 2021 as a Development Assistant and was promoted to Assistant Director of Letter-Winner Relations in October 2022.

Michael is originally from Bristow, Virginia. He earned a BBA in Sport Management and MBA from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, As a four-year football student-athlete, Michael also served as Vice President of the Sport Business Association on campus and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Upon graduation, he interned with the Tyson Group as a Business Development Representative prior to joining the Tennessee Fund.

Henry Powell joined the Tennessee Athletics staff in November of 2019 and currently serves as Assistant Director. 

Originally born in Farragut, Henry grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado before returning to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee. Studying Recreation and Sports Management, Henry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2019, followed by a master’s degree in the spring of 2021. During his time at UT, Henry has worked as a student assistant with the Tennessee Fund office, as well as both an intern and Hospitality Assistant for Tennessee Athletics.

Reid Wheeler joined the Tennessee Events & Hospitality staff in December of 2021 as an Assistant Director. Prior to transitioning to the Tennessee Athletics, Reid served as an Intern with Pirate Hospitality at East Carolina University for nearly three years.

Reid is ecstatic to be in Knoxville and to experience the unparalleled culture of Rocky Top. GBO!

Tina Haun has been on staff at the University of Tennessee for 30 years and a member of the Tennessee Fund team for the last 23 years. She enjoys working for the Tennessee Fund because she is passionate about helping and meeting new people while sharing with them the many traditions surrounding Tennessee Athletics.

A Knoxville native, she still resides in her hometown. When not on campus, she loves spending time with her family, attending church and exercising.

She has two daughters, Kelsey and Katelyn, one son-in-law, Chris Hutson, and two grandchildren, Ellie and Cooper.

Kelsey is the associate head women’s golf coach at Carson-Newman University in nearby Jefferson City, Tennessee. Katelyn is a student at ETSU, where she is very active with her sorority, ADPI, and is majoring in Marketing and Business.

Chloe joined the Tennessee Athletic staff as an Assistant Manager in March 2023. She oversees softball operations as well as coordinates rentals events. 

Prior to TAH, Chloe served as an Operations and Marketing Assistant for baseball with Ole Miss Experience at the University of Mississippi. She was responsible for all social media aspects as well as baseball operations for premium areas. 

Chloe is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sports and Recreation Administration at the University of Mississippi in 2022 and served as an ambassador for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders for the 2022-2023 season. 

Melissa Barr has been with the University of Tennessee for 22 years. She joined the Tennessee Fund in December 2016. Prior to her current role, Melissa served in the University of Tennessee Foundation-Advancement Services Gift Records Office. Prior to that she worked in the Bursar’s office and the UT Vet school.

She is married to Phillip Barr and has 2 boys, Brandon and Isaiah. She also has one grandchild named Jasper.  She enjoys all sports, and her blood runs orange. She was born in Ft. Campbell on the Army base and is currently living in the Powell area.

Jeffrey Kmiecinski joined the Tennessee Fund in January 2023 and currently serves as a Development Assistant. Prior to this position, he worked as a Data Scout/Quality Control Analyst for Scouting Heroes. He also brings with him prior work experience with The Adidas All American Bowl and Pro Football Focus.

Jeff is originally from Webster, NY. He graduated from Saint Bonaventure University in 2018, with a Degree in Business Administration.  

Abbey Cornelius joined the Tennessee Fund staff in August 2023 as a Development Assistant. 

Abbey is originally from Knoxville, TN and is excited to return to her hometown to begin her development career. She received a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before completing her MBA in August 2023. During her time at UTC, she was a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team. She also participated in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was a team representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as president her senior year.

Hanes Robinson joined the Tennessee Fund in the Fall of 2023. After graduating in December 2023, she accepted the position as a Development Assistant. Prior to this role, she worked as a Student Assistant for Stewardship & Events. Hanes found her passion for athletics when she joined the Tennessee Men’s Basketball Team as an undergraduate manager. During her time as a manager, she was a part of the 2022 SEC Tournament Championship, the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Title, and reached the Sweet 16 in 2023. 

Hanes is originally from Greensboro, North Carolina. She received a B.S. in Sport Management and a minor in Business Administration at the University of Tennessee.