Staff

Kelsey Fleming

Executive Director, Employee Engagement and Organizational Development

Kelsey joined Employee Engagement and Organization Development in February 2025. Prior to EEOD, Kelsey worked at Amazon as a financial analyst before pivoting to her most recent role, as the program manager for a research collective of industrial/organizational psychologists and machine learning scientists. She oversaw the strategic development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) initiatives for talent acquisition and assessment to support skill-based hiring frameworks at global scale. She is also a prior Marine Corps Captain where she held dual roles as HR business partner and Financial Manager in both domestic and deployed environments.

With a background in finance and HR from both the military/public and private sectors, Kelsey comes to higher education leveraging extensive experience in the execution of HR strategic initiatives and partnerships, process transformation and change management, and system-focused approaches to improving employee engagement. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy and a Masters of Public Administration from Liberty University.

Jeannie Tennant

Director, Employee & Organizational Development
865-974-9187
jtennan4@tennessee.edu

Jeannie, a dedicated professional, joined Employee and Organizational Development (EOD) in June 2021. Prior to her tenure with EOD, she served the UTK campus as a Learning and Organizational Development Consultant. With a foundation as an educator and coach, Jeannie boasts a diverse background encompassing public education, healthcare, and higher education, all with a strong focus on leadership and staff development, professional coaching, and program facilitation. Her unwavering commitment to lifelong learning is evident in her work, which centers on creating meaningful and rigorous learning opportunities.

Jeannie has extensive experience providing inclusive leadership development, strategic planning, differentiated learning, and organizational consulting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies and Human Learning from Tennessee Technological University and earned her master’s degree in leadership and management, further enhancing her expertise and dedication to the field.

Brian Watkins

Sr. Learning Consultant and Business Partner
bwatkin13@tennessee.edu

Brian Watkins is a Sr. Learning Consultant with UT System HR Employee Engagement and Organizational Development. Brian has over 10 years of experience in HR consulting, resource planning, strategic leadership visioning, and staff and organizational development. He is PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certified and an Executive Coaching Certified Professional (ECCP). Brian works with leaders and teams across the university to provide individual and team support through personalized leadership coaching, facilitating professional development for various teams, departments, and certificate programs. Before joining the UT System office, Brian worked with staff and faculty on UTK’s campus as a Leadership Development Consultant and served as the Human Capital Director for Tennessee School for the Deaf (TSD). Brian has experience facilitating sessions on topics such as succession planning, team development, change management, and employee engagement. His intentional facilitation and communication show his dedication to helping others learn, grow, and develop.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Tusculum University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership and Decision Making from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.

Strategic | Relator | Woo | Communication | Includer

Sarah Crichton

Learning Consultant and Business Partner
865-974-4430
sarrcric@tennessee.edu

Sarah serves as a Learning Consultant and Business Partner with UT System HR Employee and Organizational Development. She is a dedicated professional passionate about learning, leadership, and development. As a Learning Consultant and Business Partner, Sarah’s mission is to provide system-wide consulting, assistance, and support for designing and implementing synchronous and asynchronous learning. She is responsible for event planning for major conferences, certificate programs, and the UT Leadership Institute and providing support for in-person and online learning opportunities. With her unwavering passion, educational pursuits, and ambition, Sarah drives educational excellence and fosters inclusive learning opportunities.

Sarah holds a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis on Human Resource Management and International Business from the University of Tennessee. Sarah is pursuing her M.S. in Educational Psychology with a focus on Adult Education also from the University of Tennessee.

Harmony | Adaptability | Consistency | Restorative | Discipline

Kortney Jarman

eLearning Manager
865-974-6055
kjarman@tennessee.edu

Kortney joined Employee and Organizational Development in February 2022. Before joining the EOD, he served the UTK Campus for 20 years in various roles, first as a Computer Support Specialist for the Haslam College of Business, an IT Specialist and Systems Admin for the Center for Career Development, and a Learning Technology Specialist for the Instructional Support and Training team in the Office of Information Technology. Kortney has a diverse background in technology support and training and strives to use technology as a tool for growth, collaboration, and development.

He has a passion for learning and providing learning opportunities. His focus is on providing employee development and compliance training initiatives via the K@TE learning management system for statewide internal employees, UT departments, and campuses. He advises on eLearning best practices that adhere to high-quality standards and aids in training and support for campus learning administrators.

Kortney holds a Bachelor’s in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and is currently pursuing his M.S. in Educational Psychology with a focus in Adult and Continuing Education, also from UT Knoxville.

Josiah Roberts

eLearning Coordinator and LMS Technical Assistant
jrobe226@tennessee.edu

Josiah brings a wealth of experience to the Employee and Organizational Development team since joining in April 2024. With a robust background as a learning and development specialist in the private sector spanning five years, he possesses a deep-seated commitment to fostering learning and leveraging technology for organizational advancement, which culminated in his decision to join the University of Tennessee system.

In his role as eLearning Coordinator and LMS Technical Assistant, Josiah is dedicated to optimizing user experience within the K@TE system, adeptly resolving technical challenges, and actively contributing to the evolution of compliance training initiatives. His academic achievements include a Bachelor’s degree in Preaching and Youth Ministry, complemented by a Master’s in Education from Johnson University.