Youlanda Jones

President
Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

Dr. Youlanda Jones is the president of the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) Covington, Ripley, and Northwest. Before being appointed to her current role, Dr. Jones served as the vice president for institutional advancement and continuing education at Dyersburg State Community College, as well as the founding director of the UT Martin Ripley Center. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Jones worked for 10 years in the banking sector, where she served as a branch manager and assistant compliance officer. In total, she has over 30 years of combined experience in management and educational leadership positions.

She earned her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership & Policy Studies in 2021, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Strategic Leadership in 2004, and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Business Management in 1991, all from the University of Memphis. She is a graduate of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute, Dyer County Leadership, Lauderdale County Leadership, the TBR Maxine Smith Fellows Program, and the UTM WestStar Leadership Program. She has recently been appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve as Chair of the Higher Education and Post-Secondary Readiness Subcommittee. Dr. Jones has also been appointed by Governor Lee to serve on the Commission on Education Recovery and Innovation. In addition, Dr. Jones is a proud member of the Ripley Rotary Club and serves on the Board of Directors for the Lauderdale County Chamber of Commerce/ECD, the Dyersburg/ Dyer County Chamber of Commerce, and the Covington/Tipton County Chamber of Commerce.  She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.