Jim Wansley joined the Haslam College of Business in 1988, and has since served as head of the Department of Finance for more than two decades. In honor of Wansley’s distinguished leadership and service, the Haslam College of Business has established the Jim Wansley Finance Excellence Endowment.

Dean Stephen L. Mangum says support for the endowment is an opportunity to express appreciation for Wansley’s nearly thirty years of service and leadership at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Jim has devoted great energy to building a highly performing, research-oriented faculty, establishing enduring partnerships with alumni and the financial community, and nurturing innovative teaching programs such as our highly regarded Bloomberg training,” Mangum says. “He has succeeded in each dimension.”

Wansley holds the Clayton Homes Inc. Chair of Excellence in Finance and continues to serve on the finance faculty. His leadership has benefited thousands of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and his students and colleagues recognize his excellence as a teacher. He has earned many accolades, including the Outstanding Faculty Award and the Bank of America Faculty Leader Medal Award. In addition, he has served on boards and committees for BankEast, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville City Council, and as the founding president for the Knoxville chapter of Chartered Financial Analysts.

Current finance department head and Sharp/Home Federal Bank of Tennessee Professor of Banking & Finance Tracie Woidtke appreciates Wansley’s approach to leadership. “He had a vision of where he wanted the department to go, but was good at delegating to other people who could draw on experience from previous positions or institutions,” Woidtke says. “He’s worked hard to build relationships external and internal to the department. There is a great culture in the department, and people are more productive when they’re happy in the workplace.”