Carey Whitworth

Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy

Carey Whitworth serves as vice president of government relations and advocacy, where she manages a host of state, federal, and strategic issues on behalf of the University of Tennessee System. She regularly works with elected officials to advance University interests and often serves as spokesperson before the Tennessee General Assembly. Whitworth also serves as secretary to the UT Commission on Agriculture.

Whitworth holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from UT Knoxville, where she received the highest student honor, the Torchbearer Award. In 2019, Whitworth was selected as one of 17 leaders across the UT System to participate in the inaugural UT Executive Leadership Institute class. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Executive Management as well as the Women in Education Leadership program. In 2017, she was recognized as one of Nashville’s “Emerging Leaders.” Whitworth is the first woman in UT’s history to lead UT Government Relations.