Kenyatta Lovett
Dr. Kenyatta Lovett serves as the Executive Director of Complete Tennessee, where he is responsible for developing and executing the strategic vision to augment Tennessee’s goal to significantly increase post-secondary attainment by 2025. He also leads Complete Tennessee’s research initiatives to better inform higher education policy and practice in Tennessee.
Most recently, Dr. Lovett served as an assistant vice chancellor at the Tennessee Board of Regents. Dr. Lovett led statewide initiatives to enhance Tennessee’s community college system and played a critical role in the implementation of statewide higher education reforms, including the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 and Governor Haslam’s Drive to 55 initiative. The Tennessean recognized Dr. Lovett as one of five key people integral to the successful launch of the Tennessee Promise, the state’s initiative to cover tuition for high school graduates attending a community college.
Prior to joining the Tennessee Board of Regents, Dr. Lovett spent nearly a decade working at Volunteer State Community College, where he served in a variety of demanding roles, including director of public relations and, ultimately, chief of staff for the institution’s president.
A longtime advocate for enhancing post-secondary access and success, Dr. Lovett has been involved with several initiatives in support of college attainment. He served on the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support advisory board for early high school remediation, as well as other programs designed to boost the academic performance of adult students, foster care students, and underserved populations.
Dr. Lovett is also an adjunct professor at Tennessee State University in the Department of Public Service, teaching courses in public finance and organizational leadership. Additionally, Dr. Lovett has been a columnist for the Public Administration Times, contributed to a recent book on the history of community colleges, and published an entry on higher education in the Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance.
Dr. Lovett holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from Howard University, an M.B.A. in supply-chain management from Tennessee State University, and a Ph.D. in public administration from Tennessee State University. He and his wife Tracey have two daughters, Kiersten and Kennedy.
Contact Kenyatta at kenyatta@completetennessee.org or 615.569.7733.
Kaci Murley
Kaci Murley is the Director of Engagement and Advocacy for Complete Tennessee. She leads the organization’s community development efforts to increase postsecondary access and completion in Tennessee. Kaci also oversees the Complete Tennessee Leadership Academy (CTLA), which offers leaders in higher education and workforce development an opportunity to better engage in completion efforts in all regions of the state.
Prior to joining Complete Tennessee, Kaci served in various roles of community and program development at tnAchieves, the partnering organization to the Tennessee Promise. She played a key role in the evolution of the scholarship and mentoring program in Memphis in 2011, and also worked to support student success at postsecondary institutions across the state. Kaci also taught English in Costa Rica and upon return worked with Latino Memphis, an advocacy organization that connects the Latino community with health, education, and justice resources.
An honors graduate from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, Kaci holds a bachelor’s degree in English for corporate communications with minors in Spanish and global studies.
In addition to being featured in The Commercial Appeal as a “Woman to Watch,” Kaci continues to be engaged in several community organizations, including Christian Brothers University Honors Program Alumni Advisory Board, Memphis Child Advocacy Center: Works of Heart, and Leadership Memphis (Class of 2011). Kaci serves as a mentor for the Tennessee Promise program and participates in several statewide initiatives to support the state’s completion agenda – Drive to 55.
As a first-generation college graduate, she passionately believes in the life-changing impact a college degree can make and commits each day to ensuring that experience is a reality for all students in Tennessee.
Contact Kaci at kaci@completetennessee.org or 901.258.2177.
Julie Roberts
Julie Roberts serves as the Director of Policy Research for Complete Tennessee. In this role, Julie coordinates research activities that highlight challenges to student completion and foster community accountability. The annual State of Higher Education in Tennessee report is the culmination of these diverse research initiatives.
Before joining Complete Tennessee, Julie had an impressive tenure with Tennessee State University (TSU). Julie began working at TSU in 2003, and most recently served as Director of Academic Success Services and Learning Support Centers. In this role, she directed and supervised the operations of targeted student success initiatives with a keen emphasis on completion. She led and implemented initiatives that sought to improve completion rates at the institution, including organizational restructuring, block-scheduling programs for first-year students, course development for academically at-risk students, accelerated degree program scholarships, and a collaborative degree-audit system.
Julie is currently completing a Ph.D. in Public Administration at TSU, where she focuses her research on the motivations of interjurisdictional collaboration between city governments. She also holds an MBA from TSU, as well a Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish with a minor in International Studies from University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.
Julie is active in multiple professional associations, regularly presents on collaboration and student success, and does her part to support academic achievement and completion as a tnAchieves mentor at Stratford High School in Nashville.
Contact Julie at julie@completetennessee.org or 615-454-5197.
Hamp Price
Hamp Price is Complete Tennessee’s Programs Coordinator. In this role, he works to ensure administrative and logistic needs are met for initiatives such as the Complete Tennessee Leadership Academy, regional events and roundtable discussions. Hamp also manages social media outlets for Complete Tennessee, and strives to accurately share the organization’s important mission of increasing postsecondary access and completion in Tennessee.
Before joining Complete Tennessee, Hamp worked with World Relief Nashville’s REACH Program, where he pushed for programmatic improvements while delivering employment services to refugees and immigrants with professional backgrounds. He also provided internal consultation for the World Relief Nashville internship program to improve educational outcomes for interns in the local office. Prior to his work with new Americans, Hamp developed and facilitated programming on active citizenship and service through Vanderbilt University and the Southern Institute for Appropriate Technology, a grassroots development organization located in rural Alabama.
Hamp holds a Master of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. During his graduate studies, he focused his coursework on student development, community development, and nonprofit management. His undergraduate degree is in biomedical sciences from Auburn University.
When he’s not coordinating programs and communications for Complete Tennessee, he continues to serve the Nashville new American community as the chair for the Nashville Task Force on Refugees & Immigrants.
Contact Hamp at hamp@completetennessee.org or 615-454-5197.