Dr. Richard G. Rhoda Named Interim Executive Director for TSAC

NASHVILLE - The Executive Committee of the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) recently approved the appointment of Dr. Richard G. Rhoda, Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), as the Interim Executive Director for TSAC. He assumed his responsibilities on July 1.

Dr. Rhoda currently serves as Vice-Chairman for the TSAC Board of Directors and has served as the Interim Executive Director for TSAC on two other occasions. 

Dr. Rhoda has served as Executive Director of THEC since 1997. Prior to his time at THEC, he served as chancellor, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and strategic planning, and vice chancellor for administration for the Tennessee Board of Regents. He has also served as Interim President of Austin Peay State University and Nashville State Technical Institute. He was the original Assistant Director of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Center for Education Policy, which was created to be a national policy research center.

In his capacity as Executive Director of THEC, Dr. Rhoda leads state-level oversight of academic programs, budgeting, and strategic planning in Tennessee higher education. He actively represents Tennessee in the State Higher Education Executive Officers organization and the Education Commission of the States. He has served on the steering committee and executive committee for the Education Commission of the States, and currently serves as treasurer of the organization.

Dr. Rhoda earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Vanderbilt University (1972), a Master of Arts degree in Education from Peabody College (1974), and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University (1985). He joined the faculty at Vanderbilt in 2007 and currently teaches doctoral courses on public finance and public policy of higher education.

Dr. Rhoda communicates that, “This is a tremendously exciting period in Tennessee higher education. Postsecondary education has never been of greater importance to the well-being of individuals, their families, their communities, and the state of Tennessee. In the last several years, the lottery scholarship has enabled thousands of students to pursue an education beyond high school. Tennessee is committed to making postsecondary education available to all of its citizens, expanding access to a greater number of students, and assisting our citizens in reaching their educational goals.” 

The TSAC staff members look forward to continued strong leadership under the direction and guidance of Dr. Rhoda.