
Dr. Nancy Dishner
President & CEO, Niswonger Foundation
Dr. Dishner oversees the foundation’s work to make a positive and sustainable difference in education in Northeast Tennessee. She previously served as vice provost for enrollment services and director of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University and was a tenured professor of educational leadership and policy analysis. She began her career as a public school teacher in Unicoi County. Dishner is a graduate of East Tennessee State University; she holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s in supervision and administration, and a doctorate in administration. She has served on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation. Dishner currently chairs the board of Tennesseans for Quality Early Education and serves on the Tennessee Arts Commission. She is a board member of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, and the Niswonger Foundation. She also serves on the advisory councils for Niswonger Children’s Hospital and SCORE.