A Big Orange welcome for new athletics director

From left, Greg Dunn of Regal Entertainment Group, Dave Miller of First Tennessee Bank, Chancellor Beverly Davenport, Athletics Director John Currie, Mary Lawrence Currie, Jim Haslam of Pilot Flying J and David Hall of the University of Tennessee Medical Center line up for a photo of all the sponsors. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

More than 200 community and business leaders gathered at the Knoxville Convention Center last week to be utterly charmed by the University of Tennessee’s new athletics director, John Currie. For his part, Currie seemed equally enamored with Knoxville.

“My goal is for the athletics department to thrive in the same way that Knoxville is,” Currie said. Towards the end of the evening, Currie got a chance to introduce the university’s new baseball coach, Tony Vitello, who was running late to the event due to a recruiting trip.

Knoxville Chamber President and CEO Mike Edwards, left, with Knox County Commission Chair Dave Wright. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Vitello said he was concentrating on hiring the best coaching staff he could assemble. The following day, Tennessee announced the hiring of University of Houston pitching coach Frank Anderson to take the same position at Tennessee. Anderson is considered among the best pitching coaches in the country.

In addition to the sparkling personalities, another standout at the reception was the food. The Convention Center’s chef, Chris Moore, outdid himself with a salt slab satay station (you’ll see that in the photos) and the best fried chicken and sweet potato biscuits I’ve ever had in my life.

The reception, which cost the university nothing, was sponsored by Pilot Flying J, First Tennessee Bank, the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Regal Entertainment Group. Moxley Carmichael was in charge of the event.

The Clinch Avenue Concourse of the Convention Center provided a light, airy location for the event. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Baseball Coach Tony Vitello, left, with UT-Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport and Athletics Director John Currie. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Here are the salt block chefs. You could select beef, chicken or shrimp satay — and they literally were cooked on salt blocks.

Nick Cazana with Knox County Commissioner Michele Carringer, left, and Register of Deeds Sherry Witt. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Knox County Commissioner Carson Dailey with state Sen. Becky Massey. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Knox County Commissioner Bob Thomas and his wife, Kim. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Doug White, left, and John Currie. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch, center, chats with Currie and Davenport. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Mintha Roach, right, president and CEO of KUB, with her husband, Jon Roach.

Flowers by The Flower Pot were appropriate — and stunning. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

There sure are a lot of orange flowers out there, thank goodness!

Lady Vols Basketball Coach Holly Warlick with Chancellor Davenport. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Dave Wright, David Hall and Rob Webb and Dennis Rowe, both of Priority Ambulance.(Photo by Charley Sexton)

Rebecca and Alan Williams greet Currie in the receiving line.

From left, Janice Weems, Dave Miller, Dr. Doug Leahy and Lew Weems. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Tom and Pattye Barnes. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Thomas Moats, Blair DeBord, Coach Tony Vitello and Reid Sigmon. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Janet Testerman Crossley, Bill Regas, Jenny Williams and Bob Thomas. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Taylor Eighmy, left, and John Zomchick. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Those to-die-for chicken and sweet potato biscuits. (Chef Moore said the secret is in the batter for the chicken made with Cruze Farm buttermilk!) (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Gotta have dessert! Little cheesecakes. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Or, maybe you’d prefer a clementine upside-down cake.

Newlyweds Jim and Rhonda Rice Clayton. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Brian Sellers, left, and Floyd Akins. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Angie Wilson of Visit Knoxville and David Hunt of WBIR-TV.

John and Mary Lawrence Currie with Gloria Garner of the board of Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation.

Jim Haslam introducing Currie for brief remarks. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Currie introducing Coach Vitello. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Cute pic of Mary Lawrence Currie and Jim Haslam during John Currie’s remarks. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Jamie Foster, left, and Matt Barrick of WATE-TV. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Looks like a good conversation among, from left, Currie, Mike Strickland of Bandit Lites, Coach Warlick and Tyvi Small. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Keith Goodwin, left, and Mike Parton. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Leadership Knoxville’s Tammy White chats with Dave Miller. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Janet Testerman Crossley, Bill Regas, Sharon Miller Pryse, and Bill and Genetta Pugh. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

John Sheridan, left, with Pace and Karen Robinson.

From left, Sandra Heinig, Carole Malek and Savanna Howie. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Samuel Stevenson, Tiffany Gardner, Mike Edwards and Kelly Headdon. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Rodney and Carolyn Pointer Neil. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Brandon Stroud, Jackie Aulton, Rick Campbell and Derek Hagman. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Jay, left, and Sam Patel. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Pam Fansler and Mike Parton. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Mickey Mallonee, left, and Sara Fortune Rose. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Maria Cornelius of Moxley Carmichael with Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Doug Leahy, Tom Ballard and Currie. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Justin Cazana, left, and Kelly Headdon. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Jimmy Delaney and Jennifer Holder. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Jim Haslam, left, with Chip and Kym Bryant.

Anya and Bo Harris, left, with Lisa McCoig and Jeff Lawson. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Greg Dunn, left, with Denise and Reece Davis. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Mike Edwards, Natalie and Jim Haslam and Gloria Garner. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Ethan Mashburn, left, and Jimmy Morgan. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Donna and Gary Rose. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Dan and Kathy Hamilton. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Dave Miller, Michelle Hardin, Bart McFadden and Sandra Heinig. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Chad Culver, Angie Wilson, and Gay and Bill Lyons. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Bob and Melynda Whetsel. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Richard and Bette Bryan, Rick Giecek, Susan Newman and Doug White. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

John Sheridan, left, with Marsha and Jed Dance. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

From left, Blair DeBord, Mike Strickland, Michele Carringer and Reid Sigmon. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Kara Smith, left, and Evangelene Barredo. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Alan Carmichael and Doug Leahy.

Amanda Jennings, right, chats with her former Moxley Carmichael colleagues, Shaun Fulco, left, and Savanna Howie. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Scott Bird, left, Moxley Carmichael’s vice president of marketing, with Nick Cazana. (Photo by Charley Sexton)

Moxley Carmichael CFO Shaun Fulco and Creative Director Charley Sexton. (Photo by Maria Cornelius.)

Two of Moxley Carmichael’s hard-working interns, ReNardos Turner and Elizabeth Stewart, helped with check-in.

Moxley Carmichael’s Lauren Parrish, left, an intern, and public relations specialist Destinee Dowdy.

 

Filed under: Business, Downtown, Events, Food, Knoxville, Uncategorized, UT sports. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to A Big Orange welcome for new athletics director

  1. Alan Carmichael, on June 20th, 2017 at 3:52 pm said:

    It was a reception for John Currie combined with a meeting of the Orange Tie Club.

  2. Maria Cornelius, on June 20th, 2017 at 3:54 pm said:

    Orange attire, orange flowers, orange desserts. Awesome event. (I ate three, maybe four, cheesecakes.)

  3. Cynthia Moxley, on June 20th, 2017 at 3:55 pm said:

    Alan: Haha. You are so right about that!

  4. Cynthia Moxley, on June 20th, 2017 at 3:55 pm said:

    Maria: Orange is the new neutral!

  5. Bill Horton, on June 20th, 2017 at 7:53 pm said:

    Wishing the very best to the new Chancellor, Athletics Director and baseball coach.

  6. Cynthia Moxley, on June 20th, 2017 at 11:27 pm said:

    Bill: Thanks for reading and commenting.

  7. Deborah Sams, on June 22nd, 2017 at 1:00 pm said:

    Enjoyed reading about this event and the turnout. I just wrote down ‘chicken and sweet potato biscuits’ so I can Google a recipe later. Cooking on salt blocks! Sounds divine. Who catered?

  8. Cynthia Moxley, on June 22nd, 2017 at 4:05 pm said:

    Deborah: The Convention Center has its own executive chef — Chris Moore — and a huge, well-appointed kitchen. The food is excellent there. But this was truly outstanding. If you can figure out that chicken recipe, you will be a rock star!

  9. Gay Lyons, on June 22nd, 2017 at 4:41 pm said:

    Great event—and you’re right: the food was delicious.

  10. Cynthia Moxley, on June 22nd, 2017 at 4:43 pm said:

    Gay: Coming from one of the best cooks in town, that’s high praise! Thanks for coming.

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