Joan Cronan

Board Advisor

Joan Cronan is the University of Tennessee’s Women’s Athletic Director Emeritus, having served the university for 35 years in a variety of roles focused on strengthening UT and its student athletics. Ms. Cronan is the recipient of numerous national and local awards, and she has been inducted to five Halls of Fame, including the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hall of Champions. A gifted leader, Ms. Cronan is deeply accomplished in development activities. She expanded the UT Women’s Athletics Program from 7 to 11 sports, while leading an academic initiative which has resulted in a 98% graduation rate; and she instituted an endowment scholarship program at UT which today represents approximately $5 million.

Ms. Cronan has served on numerous boards of directors, including the Pat Summit Foundation Board, East Tennessee Foundation Board, the Leadership Advisory Board for UT Law School, and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. She earned an M.S. in Administration and Supervision and a B.S. in Physical Education and Mathematics from Louisiana State University.