December 28, 2008
Belmont President Bob Fisher Named Tennessean of the Year
Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher today was named as the 2008 Tennessean of the Year by Nashville’s daily newspaper The Tennessean. The newspaper pointed to the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate and how the event brought a national spotlight to Nashville as part of the reasoning behind Fisher’s nomination. In addition, the article noted how Fisher has raised Belmont's profile since his arrival in 2000, increasing enrollment from 3,000 to 5,000 students, launching new programs in health sciences and pharmacy, and working with recording-industry mogul Mike Curb to build the state-of-the-art Curb Event Center, site of the debate.
"While my name may be on the award, this is really an honor for everyone who cares about Belmont,” Fisher said. “The success of Belmont University is driven by the extraordinary spirit and hard work of our faculty and staff and by students who see themselves as partners in our efforts to build a great university."
Other nominees this year included the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who were awarded a National Medal of Arts this year; Dr. James Hildreth, a Meharry faculty member who announced a potential breakthrough in the battle against AIDS; Jennifer A. Pietenpol, the director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center who was recently appointed to a six-year term on the National Cancer Advisory Board; and Pat Summit, head coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team who led the Lady Vols to a second consecutive national championship in the 2007-08 season.
Fisher has served as President of Belmont University since April 2000, making him the longest-tenured university president in Middle Tennessee. Under his leadership the university’s enrollment has risen by nearly 70 percent while the campus itself has expanded significantly with the additions of the Curb Event Center and Beaman Student Life Center, the Gordon E. Inman Center, the Troutt Theater complex and several new residence halls and parking garages.
Prior to his appointment at Belmont, Fisher was vice president for academic affairs at Arkansas State University for four years and was dean of the School of Business at Henderson State University, his alma mater, for 10 years. Fisher earned a B.S.B.A. from Henderson State, an M.B.A. from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas.
In addition to his success as both faculty member and higher education administrator, Fisher is also an accomplished author with his most recent work, Life Is a Gift: Inspiration from the Soon Departed, released in 2008. Co-authored with his wife Judy, Life Is a Gift features a collection of lessons learned from interviews with 104 terminally ill patients of Alive Hospice in Nashville. Dr. Fisher previously co-authored Real Dream Teams: Seven Practices Used by World-Class Team Leaders to Achieve Extraordinary Results, published by St. Lucie Press, with Belmont’s Vice President of University Advancement Dr. Bo Thomas.
Expressing knowledge gained from his business degrees and management positions, Dr. Fisher has published numerous articles on management and leadership and has consulted with a wide variety of organizations on human resource and strategic planning issues, including Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Alltel, Arkla Gas and the U.S. Department of Transportation, among others. In 1992, Fisher served in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a Fulbright Scholar, conducting research and consulting with the National Institute of Public Administration. He also provided a keynote address at the Arabian Society for Human Resource Management Conference in Bahrain in 1998.
Active in his community, Fisher is board chairman of the PENCIL Foundation and a board member of Alignment Nashville and Nashville Alliance. He previously served as chairman of the Greater Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville, the Country Music Foundation, the Boy Scouts of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Symphony, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, TICUA, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Fifth Third Bank and the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Nashville, participates in Nashville’s Agenda, and is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Nashville. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Enterprise Group, a division of Southern Development Bank.
Married for 38 years, Dr. Fisher and his wife Judy are the proud parents of three grown children and have two wonderful sons-in-law and four perfect grandsons.
From The Tennessean: Belmont's Bob Fisher is Tennessean of the Year
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About Belmont University
Named one of the top two “Schools to Watch” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Belmont University is a fast-growing community of more than 5,400 students who come from every state and 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. The university’s purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 20 master’s programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.
For more information visit www.belmont.edu
