Maryville College names Marcia Kilby ’89 as new Board of Directors chair
July 10, 2025
Excitement, wonder and belonging: For Marcia Kilby ’89, the same emotions she felt on the first day of her first year at Maryville College in 1985 returned on Thursday, when the College’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to name her to a three-year term as board chair, effective starting in September.
Kilby takes over from C. Michael “Mike” Davis Jr., who was named board chair in 2021 following the unexpected death of A. Coleman “Cole” Piper ’68 the month before. At that point, Davis had served as a member of the board for nine years, and over the course of his four-year tenure, Maryville College continued to expand as an institution “of and for the region.”
Some of the most notable accomplishments during his term, Davis said, include both the MC Downtown Center and the Austin Coleman Piper Memorial Track, and helping establish a newly formed athletic conference, the Collegiate Conference of the South, before moving up to the elite Southern Athletic Association last year.
“I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished during my time as chair, and if my experience has taught me anything, it’s the need for all to do a better job of listening to others,” Davis said. “When everyone has an opportunity to put forth what they feel is best for Maryville College, we managed to find a consensus that let the College flourish, and while I’m honored to have been the chair during these past four years, I was ultimately a small cog in a big wheel that continued to move Maryville College forward.”
“Mike Davis assumed the chair role following the tragic and unexpected passing of the previous chair, Cole Piper, and amidst the COVID pandemic,” added Maryville College President Dr. Bryan Coker. “Mike has been a partner, advisor, and mentor to me during a challenging and unprecedented period for American higher education. I could not be more grateful for his strong friendship and support.”
Kilby, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History, went on to attend the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, earning her Juris Doctorate in 1994. She currently serves as the chief legal officer for the global medical device manufacturer DeRoyal Industries, Inc., a company for which she’s worked for the past 24 years. Ever since graduating, Kilby has been actively involved in the Maryville College Alumni Association, serving on its board as a voting member from 2010 to 2016, vice president from 2016 to 2019, and president from 2019 to 2022.
She previously served on the MC Board of Directors as the assistant secretary, and on the board’s Advancement Committee, Audit and Risk Management Committee, and Executive Committee. She’s currently the co-chair of the Maryville College Knox Scots Alumni Chapter and an active member of MC’s KT Global Alumni Committee. Outside of Maryville College, she’s a member of the Kentucky Bar Association and the Knoxville Bar Association, having served as co-chair of its Corporate Counsel Section from 2010 to the present. Kilby is married to Michael Rethwilm ’89.
“It is my great honor to be chosen as the new chair of the Board of Directors at Maryville College,” she said. “This is an institution that has been special to me since I walked onto campus as a student in 1985. I am excited to work with fellow board members; President Coker; and the College’s administration, faculty, staff, alumni and students as we continue to provide new opportunities to grow, learn, and lead within our incredible MC community and beyond. Together, we will help the College in its ongoing mission to ‘do good on the largest possible scale.’”
“With her prior service as Alumni Association president and a member of the Board of Directors, Marcia has demonstrated courageous and empathetic leadership, as well as an unwavering commitment to the success of the College,” Coker added. “She understands both the opportunities and challenges facing small independent colleges today.”