Brewton Brownlow Couch will join the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy as chief of staff March 27.

Couch has served as chief strategy officer of the United Way of Greater Knoxville for the last three years after beginning with the organization as vice president of branding and messaging in 2017.

Couch joins the Baker Center during a period of incredible growth and opportunity. In early March the Tennessee Higher Education Commission gave final approval for the transformation of the Baker Center into the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs effective July 1, 2023.

“Brewton is extremely well-qualified to help lead the Baker Center into its new future,” Baker Center Executive Director Marianne Wanamaker said. “She has the experience of successfully managing a team during a period of growth and change, something that we will need in the upcoming months as the Baker School becomes a reality.”

In her role as chief strategy officer Couch led the United Way’s marketing, fundraising, and volunteer engagement, as well as their long-term strategy and vision. She repositioned United Way as a dynamic and agile thought leader in Knoxville by engaging and educating the public, local media, and businesses about its mission and importance in the community.

As chief of staff Couch will be the administrative point of contact for Wanamaker and others at the Center, focusing on team communication, organizational effectiveness, and financial management. 

“I am thrilled to be joining the Howard Baker Center at this critical juncture in its history,” Couch said. “Marianne and her outstanding team have laid the strong foundation for future success. I look forward to building on that foundation during the upcoming transition.”

The Knoxville native is an alumna of the University of Tennessee College of Law and is licensed and barred to practice law in Tennessee. She serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Knox County Public Library and is a 2022-23 participant in Leadership Knoxville. 

About the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
In February 2023, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved the transformation of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy into the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, effective July 1, 2023. Undergraduate degree programs are anticipated in fall 2024. The Baker School will be the first and only school of its kind at a public university in Tennessee. The Baker School will build better leaders, graduating skilled public problem solvers grounded in the legacy of Howard Baker and prepared to take leadership roles as public administrators, policymakers, and candidates for public office.