By Kelli Sharpe
NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) — Tennessee State University is pleased to announce retired Army Lieutenant Gen. Jason T. Evans as the institution’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and its newly established Customer Relations Office. COO Evans and staff members of Customer Relations were introduced to the campus family during the fall 2023 Faculty Staff Institute. In his role as COO, Evans will provide strategic leadership and oversight for enrollment management, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, customer relations, and the TSU Police.
“The chief operating officer and customer relations office are both new to TSU and will play vital roles in helping to enhance the delivery of services to our students and their families,” said TSU President Glenda Glover.
“Gen. Evans’ commitment to excellence and his expertise are ideal for this role, as I look to him to strengthen TSU’s enrollment management process, advance our IT infrastructure, and implement customer relations.”
With a distinguished military career that spanned four decades, Evans brings a wealth of command and staff leadership experience to TSU. He has held various senior executive positions that include leading complex organizations at every level of the United States Army. This culminated with his selection as the Army’s first Deputy Chief of Staff, G9 (Instillations) where he was responsible for providing the best military advice to Army Senior Leadership for budget management of an $18 billion portfolio, policy, and regulatory guidance for 141 camps, posts, and stations Army-wide.
“I am deeply committed to advancing the university’s strategic initiatives and finding innovative solutions to the challenges we face in enrollment management, technology, customer relations, and the university police. I look forward to working with the dedicated professionals at TSU to provide a world-class educational experience for our students and contribute to the continued success of the university.”
As the COO, Evans will work closely with senior university administrators, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders to streamline and optimize enrollment management, enhance the university’s IT capabilities, and cultivate positive and lasting relationships with students, parents, and community members.
The TSU Customer Relations Office is up and running, and recently held a campus-wide training session. The newly established office’s primary goal is to provide exceptional service and support to students, faculty, staff, and other key stakeholders. Customer Relations is led by Assistant Vice President Jessica Powell, who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role.
“I am excited about leading this department,” said Powell, who has a long line of family members who attended TSU. “In addition to having the professional background that is going to be needed to make meaningful changes, this job is also deeply personal for me. Every day, I’m coming in to make improvements on a university that means so much to the family members I love and working to make changes to better the university so that it can continue to have a positive impact on students for years to come.”
Working with Powell in the Customer Relations Office are Dr. Seneca McPhee, assistant director, and Ciera Walker, customer relations coordinator.
Shaun Wimberly, Student Trustee, spoke highly of the initiative and highlighted its potential impact on the student body. “As a student, I believe that the establishment of the Customer Relations Office will greatly contribute to student success and satisfaction,” he said. “It demonstrates TSU’s commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of its students.”
Frank Stevenson, Vice President for Student Affairs, described the opening of the Customer Relations Offices as a “gamechanger.”
“The Customer Relations Office aligns perfectly with our mission to provide comprehensive support services that foster student success and personal growth. By centralizing and streamlining communication efforts, we are better equipped to address the diverse needs of our students and ensure their overall well-being throughout their academic journey at TSU.”
COO Evans expressed his enthusiasm for the new Customer Relations Office, one of the three areas he will oversee.
“Regardless of whether we are public servants or in the military, or as servants of the state, we are serving someone. That someone is our customers, our customers are the students primarily, and we also have other key stakeholders,” Evans said.
Both the COO and the Customer Relations Office are in the Floyd-Payne Campus Center on the main TSU campus.
