MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is giving a “True Blue” salute to 62 retiring employees for their 1,620 combined years of service to the Blue Raider campus community as the 2025-26 academic year closes this summer.

“The MTSU community collectively salutes this year’s amazing group of dedicated retirees, each one providing their unique sets of talents and skills to move this great university forward and doing so with the passion, compassion and heart for service that embodies what it means to be True Blue,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “I congratulate all retirees on reaching this important milestone after many years of service and am proud to say ‘Job well done!”

The latest group of retirees includes five employees with more than 40 years of service:

• Dr. Ron Bombardi, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies (42 years).

• Jeffrey Henderson, Energy Services (42 years).

• Theresa Stevenson, Enterprise Application Services (42 years).

• Sharon Parente, librarian at James E. Walker Library (42 years).

• Dr. Carroll Van West, history professor and director of the Center for Historic Preservation (41 years).

The group also includes 17 retirees with 30- to 39-year-long careers of service. (Click the image to view a full-sized PDF of all retirees, their department and their years of service.)

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New retirees and their departments include (listed alphabetically):

• Dwayne Alexander, Civil Environmental Engineering.

• Jim Bast, Department of Management.

• Lisa Batey, Human Resource Services.

• Earl Bogle, Construction Administration.

• Ron Bombardi, Philosophy and Religious Studies Department.

• Michelle Boyer-Pennington, Psychology Department.

• Theresa Brown, Grounds and Greenhouse Services.

• David Carleton, Political and Global Affairs Department.

• Keith Chilson, Tennessee Miller Coliseum.

• Eric Clark, Student Health Services.

• Kim Collins-Vest, Career Development Center.

• Teresa Davis, Psychology Department.

• Larry Emmons, Tennessee Miller Coliseum.

• Becky Evans, Post Office.

• Susan England, Budget and Financial Planning.

• Terry Goodin, Womack Educational Leadership.

• Debra Haber, University Studies.

• Jack Head, Database Administration.

• Pat Thomas Head, MTSU Board of Trustees.

• Jeffrey Henderson, Energy Services.

• Forrest Higginbotham, Building Services.

• Mary Hoffschwelle, Provost’s Office.

• Rick Insell, Athletics.

• Lisa Johnson, Undergraduate Recruitment.

• Sherri Justice, Business Office.

• Rick Kurtz, James E. Walker Library.

• Lisa Langenbach, Political and Global Affairs Department.

• William Levine, English Department.

• Michael Linton, Music Department.

• Amy Macy, Recording Industry Department.

• Jennifer Marchant, English Department.

• Mary Martin, Mathematical Sciences Department.

• L.J. McAnly, School of Nursing.

• Annette Merriman, Information Technology Department.

• Brian Miller, Biology Department.

• Tina Mills, Business Office.

• Vicki Montgomery, Department of Management.

• Susan Myers-Shirk, History Department.

• William Nance, Building Services.

• Regina Nelson, English Department.

• Todd O’Neill, School of Journalism and Strategic Media.

• Richard Pace, Sociology and Anthropology Department.

• Sharon Parente, James E. Walker Library.

• Sandra Poirier, Human Sciences Department.

• Gina Poole, School of Nursing.

• Greg Reish, Center for Popular Music.

• Sherry Roberts, Marketing Department.

• Zackie Sanderson, Business Office.

• Kimberly Sandman, Aerospace Department.

• Vicki Sharp, School of Nursing.

• Leslie Shearon, Student Health Services.

• Donald Snead, Womack Educational Leadership.

• Theresa Stevenson, Enterprise Application Services.

• Thomas Summers, Energy Services.

• David Urban, Marketing Department.

• Debbie Warren, Information Technology.

• Randy Weiler, News and Media Relations.

• Carroll Van West, Center for Historic Preservation.

• Derrick Wharton, University Police.

• Belinda Young, University Advancement.

• Valery Youngkins, Physics and Astronomy Department.

• Jan Zijlstra, Mathematical Sciences Department.

The university’s academic year concludes at the end of each summer session, which ends Aug. 7, with summer commencement set for Aug. 8.

MTSU’s 2026-27 academic year will begin with fall 2026 classes on Monday, Aug. 24.

MTSU, which employs more than 2,200 faculty and staff members campuswide, honors its employees regularly with opportunities that include the MTSU Employee Recognition Program awards for administrators, classified and technical/service personnel and the MTSU Foundation Awards and Faculty Recognition presentations each fall.

For more information about MTSU employee recognition programs, visit the university’s Human Resource Services program site at https://hrs.mtsu.edu/recog/.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])

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