"I'm excited to help get the word out about how special the University is, and to take part in shaping its next chapter."
Many Sewanee alumni describe their introduction to the Mountain as a magical experience—love at first sight. Chalankis Brown, C’11, is not one of those people. He first visited campus at his mother’s insistence, on a February day when he had planned to play high-school baseball. It was cold and rainy. Also, it was his birthday. “In my head, I said, ‘Sewanee isn’t happening for me,’” Brown recalls.
His mother had other ideas. So did former Sewanee football coaches Robert Black, C'89, and Carter Cardwell, who recruited Brown and encouraged him to seek admission. Somewhat reluctantly, and at the last possible minute, Brown submitted his Sewanee application. Even after he was accepted, he says, he had doubts. “My mom told me, ‘This is a big deal. This is a big opportunity for you,’” he says. “And she was right.”
Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame induction in 2021
Fast-forward nearly two decades, and Brown is now a member of Sewanee’s Board of Regents, as well as a former trustee and a dedicated Sewanee Fund donor. Since 2014, he has been a partner at the Montgomery, Alabama, office of Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, a law firm specializing in civil litigation and defense. At Sewanee, he majored in political science, and he credits a constitutional law course taught by Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen, C’76, P’14, P’17, with sparking his career interest. He says he also signed up for “every course I could possibly take” with Alfred Walter Negley Professor of Political Science Andrea Hatcher, P’16, P’21, who served as his academic advisor.
Though Brown enjoyed his coursework, he says it took time to find his stride in the classroom. “I was a good student in high school, but I could cram for tests if I had to. At Sewanee, I quickly realized I needed to put in time and effort if I wanted to succeed.” As he figured out an effective study routine, he racked up a list of athletic achievements. During his sophomore year, Brown led the Southern Athletic Association in interceptions. He also excelled in men’s track and field, earning multiple All-Conference honors. As a senior, he was awarded the prestigious Barron-Cravens Cup, presented to the male athlete of the year, and in 2021 he was inducted into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame.
School students during Friday School
Through athletics, Brown fell into a routine which, he says, helped him academically. “During the football and track seasons, I was a lot more focused, because I had a set schedule.” Sports also provided opportunities for mentorship. From his sophomore through senior years, Brown taught football basics to local children as a participant in Sewanee Elementary School’s (SES) Friday School program. He also joined Big People for Little People, a Sewanee club that paired undergraduates with SES students for fun after-school activities. “Sewanee poured a lot into me, so I thought it was important to give back to the community,” he says.
Brown remembers benefiting from mentoring, too. At the start of his sophomore year, he says, “Coach Black asked me, ‘How was your summer?’ I told him I was kind of bored and didn’t do much. At that point, he started putting a bug in my ear about building a resumé and working toward a career and a life path.” Brown reached out to Associate Dean for Career Readiness and Student Success Kim Heitzenrater, C’89, P’20, whose husband, Assistant Dean of Admission Jeff Heitzenrater, P’20, was Brown’s track coach at the time. “It felt natural to ask Ms. Heitz for help,” Brown says. With guidance from staff in Career Readiness, he applied for Sewanee’s Tonya Public Affairs Internship Program, which provides financial support for political science majors who undertake summer internships in the public affairs sector. From May to July 2009, after his sophomore year, Brown interned with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The following summer, he assisted in the office of former U.S. Congressman Bobby Bright.
Working in criminal appeals cemented Brown’s plan to go to law school, though it deterred him from practicing criminal law. (One of his internship responsibilities was organizing evidence files, and, he says, “I saw some things that no one really wants to see.”) After earning his J.D. from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University, he immediately secured a position at his current firm. He says the Sewanee network played a key role in his career trajectory. In 2012, Brown attended a Sewanee Club of Montgomery event at the encouragement of Robert Black, who was in town for the gathering. There, Brown met Winston Sheehan, C’69, a partner at Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak. Sheehan invited Brown to visit the firm and, the next year, to apply for a position.
Brown served on Sewanee’s Board of Trustees from 2022 until 2023, when he was elected to the Board of Regents. He also supports the University by giving to the Sewanee Fund, Sewanee Athletics, and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Brown says his Sewanee philanthropy started with a nudge from Eric Benjamin, C’73, the University’s well-loved former director of multicultural affairs, who passed away in 2023. “During my senior year, he encouraged me to start giving what I could,” Brown says. “He told me that, over time, my contributions would grow, and I’d see the benefits of that [donor relationship]. I’m so proud that the University has created the Benjamin Network, honoring Mr. Benjamin’s legacy and shaping the future for students from all walks of life.”
Vice President for University Relations Deborah S. Vaughn, P’20, says Sewanee is enriched by Brown’s commitment to success. “Chalankis set a new standard of excellence as a student-athlete during his undergraduate years, and he is similarly raising the bar in his service as a regent and donor.”
Just as Brown’s Sewanee giving is partly an homage to Eric Benjamin, he says his campus leadership pays tribute to Nathaniel “Bubba” Owens, C’70, the first Black graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences. “I was able to meet Mr. Owens a few years ago, and it was really special hearing how he talked about Sewanee.” Though Brown asked Owens about the challenges associated with being a pioneer, Owens only wanted to focus on positive experiences. “I thought that was brave and strong of him, and it encouraged me to stick on the path of trying to help out any Sewanee student as best I can,” Brown says.
As a regent, Brown says he has a unique opportunity to elevate Sewanee’s students. “I think Sewanee has the ability to attract the best and brightest students from anywhere, regardless of race or gender. I’m excited to help get the word out about how special the University is, and to take part in shaping its next chapter.”
