JACKSON, Tenn. — May 13, 2021 — Brandon O. Gibson, chief operating officer for the state of Tennessee, will deliver the commencement address as part of Union University’s spring graduation ceremonies May 15 on the Great Lawn.
Prior to assuming the COO role a year ago, Gibson served as senior adviser to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, working primarily on rural and criminal justice initiatives. She served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals for more than four years before joining the Lee administration.
A native of Dyersburg, Tennessee, Gibson previously practiced law in West Tennessee. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in agribusiness from Mississippi State University and her law degree from Southern Methodist. She and her husband are the parents of one daughter and live on a farm in Crockett County.
The ceremony for graduate and adult studies students, including MCUTS, BSOL and associate degrees, will begin at 2 p.m. The ceremony for all undergraduates (excluding BSOL students) will begin at 6 p.m. Both ceremonies will take place on Union’s Great Lawn and will be shown live at livestream.com/uu/commencement.