Board of Trustees
MTSU Governing Board
J.B. Baker is CEO and owner of Sprint Logistics. He attended Martin Junior College and earned his bachelor’s from MTSU. He is the former owner and chairman of the board for Volunteer Express and Associated Companies, having worked at the company for 30 years. He has served on a number of professional and civic boards, including Martin Methodist College, Goodwill Industries, Saint Thomas Hospital Health Services Fund, and the Nashville Symphony. Baker was awarded Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award by the MTSU Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
Thomas R. “Tom” Boyd is an investment advisor representative with Decker Wealth Management in Nashville. With more than four decades of experience in financial management and banking, he previously served as a senior vice president at Bank of America. Boyd graduated from MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree, holds an M.B.A., and previously served with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Pete DeLay is a Principal at Lynwood Ventures, LLC., a Nashville based investment management company. Previously he led the Nashville office of Forterra Building Products, and before that, he was the president and owner of Sherman-Dixie Concrete Industries Inc. He previously served on the board of trustees of the University of the Sewanee-University of the South and he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Montgomery Bell Academy where he is Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign.
William S. “Bill” Jones is a 1982 graduate of MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. A nearly life-long resident of Murfreesboro, he has been in the financial services industry since graduation. He currently serves as Area Executive for Pinnacle Financial Partners with responsibilities for Rutherford and Bedford counties with over 30 years with Pinnacle and its predecessor. Currently he serves as the Chairman of the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board, as Chairman of the Ascension/St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital Board and as a member and past Chairman of the Christy-Houston Foundation in Murfreesboro. He also serves as a past President of the MTSU Foundation.
Mary Martin, Faculty Trustee, is a Professor of Mathematics in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and is serving on the MTSU Board of Trustees for a second term. Earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from MTSU, she received her Master’s and PhD. degrees in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, Martin has taught graduate and undergraduate mathematics courses, written three chapters in a book addressing mathematical modeling and pedagogy, and secured an Upward Bound grant of $1.5M for MTSU to use to benefit two Rutherford County high schools. Her past service in shared governance at MTSU and her overall experience in higher education allow her to bring an engaged and complete perspective to her role on the Board.
Shaylaine F. Roker, Student Trustee, is a Senior currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Finance. She has contributed to governmental programs through internships at the Commonwealth Bank and the Ministry of Labor Department in the Bahamas. Shaylaine aspires to collaborate with prominent organizations such as The World Bank or The International Monetary Fund in efforts to further the development in the Bahamas. During her tenure at MTSU, she has significantly contributed to various campus organizations and departments, including the Career Development Center, Bahamiam Student Organization, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, and Housing and Residential Life. Furthermore, she actively supports the Bahamas Humane Society and the Hands for Hunger Organization.
Stephen B. Smith, Chair, serves as Chairman of Haury and Smith Contractors Inc. He has served on a number of boards including Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati; Nashville Planning Commission; and Chairman of the Nashville Park Board. Currently, he serves on the boards of Capstar Bank and Williamson County Sports Authority. Smith received his Bachelors of Science degree from MTSU in 2011. He was elected to MTSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, and received the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award in 2010.
Christine Karbowiak Vanek, Vice Chair, retired from her roles as Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Executive Vice President, and Vice Chair – board of directors of Bridgestone Americas Inc., as well as her Executive Officer and Executive Vice President roles with Bridgestone Corporation, effective January 1, 2021. She is active in community organizations and has served on numerous boards including the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan America Society of Tennessee, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Franklin American Music City Bowl (now known as the Transperfect Music City Bowl). She has received a number of recognitions for her civic work and she recently was conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Government of Japan for her work to strengthen Tennessee-Japan relations over the past nearly three decades. She holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Illinois.
Michael J. Wade, CLU, ChFC, is a 1990 graduate of MTSU and an Agency Sales Leader with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, a Fortune 50 company. Michael has over twenty years experience in Insurance and Financial Services and lives in Chesterfield, MO where he has responsibility for 50 independent locations in the St. Louis metro area. Michael is also a small business owner in Tennessee. A Murfreesboro native, Michael has spent several years in key leadership roles in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri and is currently an advisor to the Board of Directors of a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.
Pamela J. Wright founded Wright Travel and built the company into one of the largest travel agencies in the US, with offices throughout the country. She sold it in 2015. She now is President and Managing Partner of Wright Development, a real estate investment company. She has served on numerous non-profit boards in Nashville. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from MTSU.