Hiatt graduated with a business degree from Trevecca in 1976 and went on to earn his law degree at the University of Tennessee. He took a job at a law firm downtown and focused on business-related legal work, and soon returned to the Hill to teach as an adjunct in the business department.
Hiatt expected this to be a short-term position, but in fall 1983, he joined the faculty.
“I really thought I would only be here four or five years, and then I would go back into a business of some sort, a legal department or maybe running my own business,” Hiatt laughed. “But ‘four or five years’ quickly turned into 43.”
Hiatt has been a significant part of the many changes and improvements at Trevecca during his tenure. He has been a driving force in the development of the undergraduate and graduate business programs on campus, overseeing their expansion into the online modality and forming partnerships with local community colleges to increase Trevecca’s reach in business education. He has also partnered with faculty from other departments to establish new programs like the Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management and the Master of Public Health. Hiatt was integral in the development of Trevecca’s Doctor of Business Administration, educating professionals at the highest level.
As he reflects on those many years, the relationships he has formed with students and faculty continue to stand out as the most significant aspect of his tenure. Some of Hiatt’s fondest memories are traveling with business students to national competitions and cheering them on. His greatest joy has been championing individuals as they find their calling in business and grow in confidence.
His wife, Judy Hiatt, Trevecca’s assistant to the provost and academic affairs, will also be retiring this year. As they prepare to step into this next chapter, he is excited for the future.
“I've kind of been a little bit of a banger on the guitar. So I'm going to take some guitar lessons. I want to read some of the classics that I've missed, garden and go fishing more,” Hiatt said. “I was on the board of directors of the Nashville Rescue Mission for nine years and chairman of that board for a couple of years as well, so I might like to do a little volunteer work.”
Ultimately, Hiatt sees his work in business as an extension of his calling and faith and hopes his students who have graduated from the Skinner School of Business find their work to be the same.
“Being in a business school, it would be obvious to say that I hope they’ll be successful in their business endeavors. But the most meaningful thing in life is relationships. Relationship with God and relationship with other people,” Hiatt said. “We need to have people with Christian values, Christian competence, Christian character throughout all organizations, from the boardroom to the shop floor. Your Christianity is not just for Sunday. It is to be lived throughout your vocation, your job, whatever that may be.”