The College of Communication and Information named Room 316 in the Communications Building for longtime Board of Visitors member and advertising leader David Bohan (BS/Business Administration ’70) on October 11 during the BOV fall meeting.
Bohan is the founder and chairman of BOHAN Advertising, a top full-service advertising firm based in Nashville since 1990. For decades, he has been a strong supporter of CCI and the University of Tennessee and has also given extensively to his community and profession.
Bohan was honored alongside his wife, Linda, in the classroom, surrounded by BOV members, CCI faculty and staff, and university officials. CCI Dean Mike Wirth, UT Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs John Zomchick, and current BOV chair Hilda Murray shared words of congratulations and thanks during the naming and dedication ceremony prior to Bohan and Wirth unveiling the plaque, which will hang outside of Room 316.
The plaque text reads as follows :
David Bohan (B.S./Business Administration ’70) is an outstanding professional and community volunteer, and one of the University of Tennessee’s most accomplished alumni. He is Chairman and Founder of BOHAN Advertising/Marketing, one of the largest and most successful advertising agencies in the state of Tennessee. He is well known for his business acumen, his ability to think strategically and analytically and for his unparalleled commitment to ethics and integrity.
As one of the greatest supporters of the College of Communication and Information (CCI) and the University of Tennessee (UT), David has devoted large amounts of his time, energy and treasure to CCI and UT. He is a long-time member of CCI’s Board of Visitors (BOV) and of the BOV Executive Committee; Co-Chair of CCI’s Join the Journey Capital Campaign; a member of the UT President’s Council and the Executive Committee of the UT Advocacy Council; and a former member of the UT Development Council and the UT Chancellor’s Council.
David epitomizes the “Volunteer Spirit” through his dedicated service to the advertising profession and his community. He serves as a Board member of the 4A’s Southern Region, the Music City Music Council, and Mental Health America of the Mid-South, and he is on the Executive Committee of YMCA of Middle Tennessee Nashville. His past service on boards and executive committees, for such organizations as Leadership Nashville, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Nashville READ, Father Ryan High School (former Chair), the Tennessee Hotel & Lodging Association, Bethlehem Center of Nashville, Nashville Ballet, the United Way, and the Gulch Business Improvement District, underscores his lifelong commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
In recognition of his many accomplishments, David has received: UT Knoxville’s Alumni Professional Achievement Award, the Bill Wilkerson Speech & Hearing Center Volunteer of the Year Award, a Nashville Advertising Federation Silver Medal, the American Advertising Federation Aid to Advertising Education Award, and his agency, BOHAN, was named Advertising Age’s Southeast Small Agency of the Year.
The David Bohan Classroom provides CCI students with a laboratory to write, create and innovate. It was dedicated on October 11, 2019 to honor David for his many accomplishments and to recognize his profound impact on the College of Communication and Information and the University of Tennessee.