Terrell Davis receives the Lloyd and Nettie Downen Endowment Fund Leadership Enhancement Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrated the accomplishments of some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards luncheon. The 2026 ceremony was held on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 4. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the celebration and praised the honorees for their devotion to the land-grant mission. “Our UTIA staff and faculty continue to overwhelm me with their enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing Real. Life. Solutions. to the people of Tennessee. These award winners represent the efforts and accomplishments this past year that will most benefit all Tennesseans and society – impacts that will have lasting benefits through teaching, research and Extension for years to come.”
Terrell Davis, county director and agriculture and natural resources agent with UT-TSU Extension Dyer County, was honored with the Lloyd and Nettie Downen Endowment Fund Leadership Enhancement Award. Established by UT Extension Dean Emeritus M. Lloyd Downen and his wife, this award recognizes Extension faculty members who serve in leadership roles across the state.
Davis has been with UT Extension for 4 years after spending 8 years as an Extension agent in Arkansas. During his time in Tennessee, he has served on the UT Strategic Planning Committee for Volunteerism and the planning committee for the West Tennessee Grain and Soybean Producers Conference attended by more than 500 farmers annually. Additionally, as a certified remote pilot, he used drone technology to assist local authorities and residents impacted by flooding in 2025.
“I am honored to receive the Downen Leadership Enhancement Award,” says Davis. “Using the included funds, I look forward to growing my knowledge and skills so I can further invest in UT Extension professionals in my county and beyond.”
Davis is a 2026 Tennessee Extension Leadership Academy graduate, and the recipient of the Search for Excellence in Crop Production Award from the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists in 2026 and 2025. He was named the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) National Winner in the Communications–Audio Recording category in 2021, and the Southern Region Winner in the Communications–Educational Video Recording category in 2020. He also received the Achievement Award from NACAA in 2019, which honors early-career Extension professionals.
In his free time, he enjoy listening to bluegrass gospel music and attending concerts at local events.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.