Knoxville native Morgan Vance (’12) grew up believing her dreams were always within reach, thanks to the strong women role models lighting the way across the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and beyond. Today, Vance is doing her part to ensure others remember the legacies of those women while inspiring the next generation to create their own.
“As a Knoxville girl, I grew up during a golden age of seeing leaders like Pat Summitt and Joan Cronan out in the community and excelling in their work. At no point as a young woman did I think my opportunities were limited. Seeing these incredible women succeed made me believe I could follow my dreams,” she shared.
Vance, executive director of the Pat Summitt Foundation, recently received two 40 Under 40 recognitions—one from the Knoxville News Sentinel and another from UT—honors that reflect both her leadership and her impact.
A third-generation Volunteer, Vance graduated from UT in 2012 with a major in public relations and a minor in business administration.
“I was born and raised in Knoxville. I grew up just three miles from campus,” she stated.
With the university practically in her backyard, she needed some convincing that it should become her home sweet home.
“I remember talking to my dad about what I wanted in a college experience,” she said. “Academics were a priority. I wanted to major in some form of communications. The social aspect was also important. I was listing everything, and my dad said, ‘You do realize that you just named the University of Tennessee. Have you even looked at it?’”
After considering her options, UT was the only school she applied to.
During her time on Rocky Top, Vance formed relationships that would shape her career in ways she could not yet see.
“Dr. Steve Catlett with the UT Foundation sat down with me when I was an undergraduate so I could learn about his work in alumni engagement. I wanted to explore different career paths after graduation, and he kindly made time in his busy schedule to meet with me,” she explained.
Another mentor was Keith Carver, now senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture.
“At a couple of different junctions in my career where I had to decide, ‘What’s next?’ Dr. Carver was the opinion I sought,” Vance stated. “I remember thinking about graduate school, and he took the time for lunch and several phone calls to help me understand where each door could lead. The University of Tennessee has done a phenomenal job of putting people in leadership positions who are truly passionate about working with students and helping them be successful, not just during their time on campus, but after.”
After graduation, Vance’s path took what she describes as a “windy road.” She began working in events at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and with Children’s Miracle Network, where she discovered her passion for nonprofit work. That calling led her to a position at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center before she returned home to Knoxville. Along the way, she earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin and gained experience in athletics development while working with major donors.
Through relationships built over time, an opportunity emerged at the Pat Summitt Foundation, a role that blended healthcare and athletics in a way that felt uniquely aligned with Vance’s professional background.
“To be here is a humbling experience, and it’s just incredible that I get to be entrusted to protect the brand,” she said.
This June marks 10 years since Pat Summitt’s passing. In November, the foundation will celebrate its 15th anniversary. As the university reflects on Summitt’s legacy, the foundation she helped establish continues to grow as it is guided by someone who once watched her from the stands.
“It’s a very humbling experience. I do not take the work that I get to do lightly. I don’t take for granted the fact that I was placed in this role and that they have entrusted me to do this work,” Vance shared.
Expanding Pat’s Vision
After being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2011, Summitt made it her mission to create meaningful support for patients and caregivers. The foundation remains anchored in that vision.
“She wanted to see the Pat Summitt Clinic in Knoxville, a place solely dedicated to diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s and dementia patients,” Vance said.
That vision became reality in January 2017 with the opening of the Pat Summitt Clinic at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. In June 2024, the foundation launched Pat’s Game Plan, a free nationwide online resource designed to support the nearly 12 million Americans serving as caregivers.
In 2025, the foundation became a fully independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its donor base continues to grow, and its reach continues to expand.
Yet with growth comes evolution.
“The further out that we get from Pat’s time with us, the fewer people really know who she was and what she did, and how she impacted women everywhere—not just women’s basketball players, but women in athletics as a whole,” Vance said. “Our work and our messaging has had to evolve.”
That responsibility to steward not just programs, but legacy, is something Vance approaches with intention.
“I have a quote that I keep on my whiteboard in my office,” she said. “It was something one of Pat’s players said not too long after I started at the foundation: ‘Pat didn’t expect us to be mediocre.’ And that is absolutely the mindset that we have here.”
Vance credits her background in public relations for shaping how she leads.
“From a PR perspective, we understand what it means to build relationships,” she said. “It was those relationships that helped me get to where I am today—and quality relationships. Not just having a Rolodex of people to call when you need something but genuinely building your network. Stay in touch with people. Take advantage of opportunities to meet someone. Ask questions. Continue to learn. I’m living my dream.”
Though she is often quick to deflect recognition to her team, the recent 40 Under 40 honors serve as an affirmation of Vance’s work.
“To be recognized not once but twice is a lot, and it’s very humbling,” she said. “To me, it’s confirmation that I’m making an impact, that I am in the right role, that I am using that to make a difference. I didn’t get here on my own.”
As the university commemorates a decade since Summitt’s passing, Vance remains focused not only on honoring the past but on building what comes next.
“My goal was always to one day run a nonprofit,” she said. “I’m living that dream. But it doesn’t stop here. I still don’t know everything. So humble yourself enough to continue to learn, ask questions, rely on your mentors and your network.”
For Vance, the work is deeply personal—rooted in Knoxville, shaped by UT, and driven by a standard set long ago.
“Pat didn’t expect us to be mediocre.”
And neither does the foundation that carries her name.