Meet the Board of Trustees Dr. Linda Latimer

MEET THE ETSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES: LINDA LATIMER

Along her journey to becoming a physician at ETSU, Dr. Linda Latimer acquired many valuable lessons.

One, in particular, will always stand out.

Let’s rewind first: Growing up in Kingsport, Latimer attended Sullivan South High School and began college at the University of Tennessee – as a first-generation college student.

“My parents had an incredible work ethic, and they had achieved great success without having to go to college,” she said. “For me, the plans were to attend college, but as far as knowing the process or what was involved, we did not have a clue.

“Keep in mind, I was a person who never asked for help if there was something I did not know.”

So, rather than going to see a counselor or an advisor, she arrived on campus for her first semester, grabbed a course catalog, and picked the courses she thought would be best for her. Latimer initially took computer and business courses, but she also was potentially interested in genetic engineering or even the law. By the end of her sophomore year, she felt she needed to make a decision and she read that the courses she had taken were perfect for work in healthcare administration. So she transferred to the Medical University of South Carolina and obtained her B.S. degree in healthcare administration.

When Latimer was an undergraduate, her mother became ill, and the doctors could not pinpoint a diagnosis. Determined to help the doctors find out what was going on, Latimer headed to the library to do research. Her friends who were in medical school at the time caught notice of her passion for finding clinical answers and encouraged her to go to medical school.

“To be honest, I had never considered it before then as we had no physicians in our family,” Latimer recalled.

After graduating with her undergraduate degree, she was planning to attend medical school at MUSC, but back home, her mother’s medical condition became worse and Latimer decided she needed to be closer to family. Fortunately, the presence of the Quillen College of Medicine meant Latimer could continue her journey to becoming a physician.

Except for one bump in the road.

The medical school in Charleston did not require courses like organic chemistry and physics, so she would need to take those courses and sit for the MCAT exam before she could attend Quillen.

“That summer, I took those classes at ETSU, and when I started I had absolutely no idea what was going on,” she said. “I did not want to admit I needed help, but I was lost.”

So, one day after class, Latimer approached her physics professor and explained her dilemma. Dr. Lattie Collins pulled out a piece of paper, sketched out a billiard table, and used this simple model to explain a number of physics properties to her.

For Latimer, the light came on. She got it, but physics 1-0-1 wasn’t the only lesson she walked away with that day.

It was a transformative moment for Latimer who says she did not shy away from asking for help in medical school. She also had professors who had a profound impact on her educational career, including Dr. Tom Kwasigroch and Dr. Earl Brown, whom she credits for inspiring her to become a pathologist.

“Both Dr. Kwasigroch and Dr. Brown had a teaching style that would have us on the edge of our seats,” she describes. “They would craft these amazing stories, and by the end of the lecture, you would have absorbed volumes of information without even realizing it.”

Latimer says that Drs. Brown and Kwasigroch would show up during the late evenings as she and her classmates were prepping for the Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

“A lot of time had passed and a lot of new information had been added since we had those courses, and they were there to help us review and be ready,” she said. “Their desire to see us succeed was genuine and truly heartfelt.”

Latimer graduated in 1995 and went on to complete a pathology residency at Quillen. She held various positions throughout her career, including serving as the medical director of the Cytopathology Laboratory in Johnson City, the medical director of the laboratory at the former Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, and clinical assistant professor in the Quillen College of Medicine.

She also was a member of many committees at hospitals including the Johnson City Medical Center and Takoma Regional Hospital as well as the Mountain States Health Alliance Foundation Board.

In 2017, Latimer was appointed by then-Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam as an inaugural member of the ETSU Board of Trustees. She led the Academic, Research, and Student Success committee before being elected as chair of the board in 2021.

“This has been a wonderful experience, and one of the benefits of having a local governing board is that you have leaders who have experience working in the private sector who can bring that knowledge to the public sector,” she said. “We have built a powerful institutional presence for our work teaching and learning, and I am excited about the potential for opportunities in advancements in research and innovation that are before ETSU, particularly in the health sciences.”

Latimer adds that a highlight of being on the board has been learning about the student success initiatives taking place across campus, particularly for first-generation students.

“When students need assistance or do not know the answers, we have a wonderful team at ETSU who are there to guide them. It’s about getting them connected with the right person, and letting our students know that, yes, you should never be afraid to ask for help.”

MEET THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS WITH ACCOUNTING DEGREES

East Tennessee State University provides a seamless pathway for students hoping to achieve both an undergraduate and a master’s degree in accounting. In fact, ETSU is the only university in the region that provides both degree options, equipping students with the opportunity to earn advanced degrees and prepare for top-tier careers in business, taxes, advisory services, and non-profits.

Three of the eight members appointed to the ETSU Board of Trustees achieved degrees in accounting and have a proven track record of navigating a wide range of business environments.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN “An accounting or finance degree not only allows you to start a career with a specific skill but also allows you to understand any operation and the details necessary to manage the business or non-profit,” said ETSU alumnus Steven DeCarlo, Executive Chairman of Amwins Group, Inc., a global specialty insurance distributor.

“The ability to understand income statements and balance sheets took me in the direction of private equity and allowed our firm the opportunity to acquire 60 different enterprises over the last 20 years,” DeCarlo said. He started his first business, RSUI, in 1988 after serving as an internal auditor for the Domestic U.S. Insurance Company and holding the role of Chief Financial Officer for The London Agency in Atlanta.

PHOTO BY LARRY SMITH

Melissa Steagall-Jones, a partner in the accounting firm Blackburn, Childers & Steagall CPA, is also a Certified Internal Controls Auditor. “I spend most of my time in audit, taxes, and consulting, and my primary industries are governmental, health care, and employee benefit plans. I never have the same day twice,” she said.

Steagall-Jones credits her education at ETSU with setting her up for success and helping her pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, a designation required to earn the highest-level role at a CPA firm. “Accountants are called to serve on non-profit boards and churches. There are so many ways that accountants improve the lives of the people of the Appalachian Highlands,” she said.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN Charles E. Allen, Jr., who serves as President of both Stowaway Storage and Charles E. Allen Company, holds three financial certifications, CPA, CFP, and CFA. He is an entrepreneur with an expansive background in finance, real estate, and banking. “I received an education at ETSU that is second to none, and I still use my knowledge obtained in those accounting classes daily. ETSU provided me with the foundation for my future successes,” he said.

In addition to serving on both public and private corporate boards, non-profit boards, and committees, Allen also served two terms in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Yasmeen Elayan is Marketing and Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications.