Colquitt, Corker and Goff join the Baker School’s Board of Advisors
February 25, 2026
David Colquitt, a hospitality entrepreneur and attorney; entrepreneur and former U.S. Senator Bob Corker; and Shuwanza Goff, vice president of government affairs at Hyundai Motor Group, have joined the Board of Advisors of the Howard H. Baker, Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School). Each will serve a five-year term.
“David Colquitt, Senator Bob Corker and Shuwanza Goff each reflect the Baker School’s commitment to principled public leadership,” said Dean Marianne Wanamaker. “These new board members bring tremendous experience and a deep commitment to the Baker School’s mission. Their guidance will strengthen our ability to prepare the next generation of public problem solvers, and I look forward to working with them.”
Colquitt, of Knoxville, and his wife, Annie, own several hospitality properties, including The Swag and Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County, North Carolina, and RT Lodge in Maryville. He earned a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Colquitt serves on the boards of the Friends of the Smokies, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Emerald Academy, and Wears Valley Ranch, and is an active member of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church.
Corker, a two-term U.S. senator from Tennessee, retired in 2019. During his tenure, he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 113th Congress and was known for his bipartisan approach to governing. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, Corker served as Tennessee’s commissioner of finance and as mayor of Chattanooga.
Prior to his political career, Corker was a successful entrepreneur. He is an alumnus of the UT Haslam College of Business and has returned to private business since leaving the Senate.
Goff, of Washington, D.C., oversees federal legislative strategy and global policy issues for Hyundai Motor Group. She previously served in the White House from 2021 to 2025, where she played a key role in advancing major legislation, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
In 2019, Goff became floor director for legislative operations for then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the first African-American woman to hold the position. She joined Hoyer’s staff in 2008 and was deputy director of legislative operations by 2012.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Goff holds a master’s degree from American University. She has frequently engaged with Baker School students, sharing insights from her career in public service.