Charley Deal is the vice chancellor for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving at UTM and on the opposite end of campus, his wife Shannon Deal is the director and nurse practitioner for Student Health and Counseling Services, SHCS, and program director for the different programs within SHCS.
The Deals have been married for 16 years. The couple met at Camp Celebration, a camp for mentally disabled kids and adults, in the 1980s. Shannon Cheshire was the co-founder of Camp Celebration and called UTM asking about food services. When the caterer arrived at the camp, Charley Deal was by his side. After the couple met, a friendship formed and eventually, a marriage happened.
Shannon Deal is from Memphis and graduated from the UT Health Science Center in Memphis and finished with a B.S. in Nursing and a Masters in Nursing.
Hickman County, Tenn., is where Charley Deal grew up, and he attended UTM and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and his MBA. He still wants to achieve more and is currently pursuing his doctorate degree.
When he isn’t busy, hunting and building objects are his hobbies. Creating sculpted wood pens is another hobby for him.
“[It is] very calming, and I am grateful to have learned,” Charley Deal said.
You may not see him around campus much, but that’s because he is always on the go. From WestStar to supporting his kids in extracurricular activities, his day always starts early and almost always ends late.
Shannon Deal’s hobbies include reading, animals, baseball, teaching Sunday school classes and anything involving her kids. She is also a huge Chicago Cubs fan and always knows when a game is on.
When Deal isn’t tending to ill students, she is tending to her own kids. Alex, their 13-year-old son, loves everything outside from hunting to baseball and they also have an 11-year-old daughter, Jessie.
During Charley Deal’s undergraduate career, he was very active on campus. Along with school, intramurals and working for housing were two things that made up a large portion of his college life. While working for housing, he quickly excelled. He progressed from resident assistant to housing assistant to assistant hall director to, ultimately, hall director.
Being a hall director on a college campus provided Charley Deal with many memorable college moments.
“I had 42 international students, and it was very interesting and entertaining. Talking to them made me appreciate all of the freedom we have in our country,” Charley Deal said.
Shannon Deal’s college life was quite different. Memphis is a big city with much to do, but at the UT Health Science Center, campus life varied from UTM. The lack of organizations didn’t stop Shannon Deal. She was heavily involved in community service, such as St. Jude and Camp Celebration.
“There weren’t many student organizations on campus. The organizations that were there focused on health and nursing groups,” Shannon Deal said.
The campus might have lacked student organization opportunities, but sporting events in the area were a different story.
“It was an exciting time for Memphis basketball. The games would be like another world,” Shannon Deal said.
As for advice for current students, she said that being responsible and making smart decisions are important.
“Establish your independence and take accountability for your actions,” Shannon Deal said.
“Take time off and give yourself a break. It’s important to get rest. If you work hard, make time for yourself and relax sometimes.”
Charley Deal emphasized that students should work hard.
“Challenge in a respective way. Don’t take no for an answer. A lot of times, people don’t fight. Always keep your goals and fight. Also, don’t forget to give back to your university,” Charley Deal said.
