Cumberland University Board of Trustees
*J. Samuel Hatcher
Chairman of the Board
First Light Communications
Lebanon, TN
Sam Hatcher, a former newspaper journalist, editor and publisher, initiated several years ago a government and media relations company, First Light Communications.
First Light clients and/or former clients include financial institutions, the Nashville Superspeedway, Tennessee Municipal League, a Middle Tennessee economic and community development board, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Everywhere.care, Guerrier Development Company, Storyville Gardens, a Delaware based land development company, the West Tennessee Railroad Company, TennKen Railroad, Inc., the Tennessee Railroad Alliance, the Jewish Federation, a national athletic apparel company, a behavioral healthcare nonprofit, and others.
He was a founding principal and currently is president of “The Farm,” LLC, a land development company responsible for developing Five Oaks, a private country club and golf course residential community in Lebanon. He has also developed other area residential properties, and has been active in a number of commercial ventures including the incorporation of a local community bank.
Hatcher was elected chairman of the Cumberland University Board of Trust in June 2023 and has served as a member of that board since 1980. He is a director and serves as treasurer of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad Authority and serves or has served on the boards of Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Equal Chance for Education, Alive Hospice, The Community Foundation of Wilson County, the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, and Lebanon’s University Medical Center Hospital (now Vanderbilt Wilson County). He is a former member of the faculty of Cumberland and Lipscomb Universities.
Hatcher is a past president and former member of the board of directors of the Tennessee Press Association and served on the state boards of United Press International and the Associated Press.
For more than 35 years he served in the Army National Guard retiring at the rank of Full Colonel. His service included deployments and assignments in the U.S. as well as in Egypt, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Central America. For his final assignment, a ten year stint, he chaired the Joint National Guard Communications Committee at the Pentagon.
He is the author of two books, “Heisman’s First Trophy,” and “Notes from Lebanon’s First 200 Years.”
His work, “Heisman’s First Trophy,” the story about the football game played between Cumberland University and Georgia Tech in which Tech defeated Cumberland by a score of 222-0 has been featured in metro dailies and community newspapers nationwide, by the late Frank DeFord on National Public Radio, and by other broadcast media including ESPN, CBS, and a number of local television and radio stations and podcasts.
Hatcher is an alumnus of Cumberland University, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Tennessee Technological University, and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Nashville School of Law. He and his wife Teresa live in Lebanon and have two adult married daughters and five grandchildren.
William Joseph Adams
Executive at BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company and Partner at Main Street Property Management, LLC
Lebanon, TN
*Winstead P. Bone, III
Co-owner of Wilson County Chevrolet Buick GMC and Wilson County Hyundai Genesis
Lebanon, TN
Dr. Teresa Chasteen-Dunnn, B.S, M.A., Ed.D, Ph.D
President & CEO of Worldwide Interactive Network (WIN) Learning
Knoxville, TN
André L. Churchwell, M.D.
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Vanderbilt University
Brentwood, TN
Laura Daily
Senior Vice President of Retail at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
Lebanon, TN
*Cathy F. Gracey
Chief Nursing Executive at Donelson Hospital/Summit Medical Center (retired)
Nashville, TN
J. Roderick Heller, III
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Carnton Capital Associates and Harpeth Associates
Franklin, TN
Jack D. "J.D." Lowery, B.A., J.D.
CEO of LoJac Companies and Senior Partner of Lowery, Lowery & Cherry, PLLC
Lebanon, TN
John McDearman
Wilson Bank & Trust Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Lebanon, TN
Cecelia Moore
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Brentwood, TN
C. Wright Pinson, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S.
Deputy CEO and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN
Justin Pitt, B.A., J.D.
Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Community Health Systems
Franklin, TN
Rob E. Porter
President & Chief Executive Officer of Civil Site Design Group, PLLC
Old Hickory, TN
Michael Spalding, M.D.
Founder, President and Chairman of Equal Chance for Education & Urologist, Private Practice (retired)
Nashville, TN
*Heather Stafford, B.S., B.S.N., M.B.A., D.N.P.
Chief Nursing Officer at TriStar Summit Medical Center
J. Frank Rudy Jr., J.D.
Attorney & Partner at Rudy Winstead Turner, PLLC.
CEO of Rudy’s Farm Co. Inc.
Nashville, TN
William L. Vallett
Chief Executive Officer of Lochinvar Corporation & President of WVF Holdings, LLC
Old Hickory, TN
David A. Vise
Trustee Emeriti
Robert N. Clement, M.B.A., D. Lit. Ltrs.
Albert A. Gore, Jr.
Lynn Lester, R.N.
A.C. Wharton, Jr.
*J. Randall Clemons
* indicates Cumberland University alumni
Chairman Emeritus
Edward L. Thackston, P.E., Ph.D.
Robert Carver Bone, M.D., MBA, D. Lit. Ltrs. (Hon.)