Roane State hosted a special ceremony at its Cumberland County Campus on Thursday, September 12, 2024, celebrating two major milestones: the completion of a new health science wing named for a state representative and the dedication of the entire campus in memory of two of the site’s strongest local supporters.

College leadership joined Speaker of the House of Representatives Cameron Sexton and members of his family to cut the ribbon for the new Cameron Sexton Health Science Wing. The addition was finished over the summer and is currently home to the first-ever nursing cohort at the campus in Crossville. The expansion includes flexible labs and classrooms to help meet the increased demand for health science education in the area.

In addition to the expansion, the event honored a local couple who were instrumental in bringing a Roane State campus to Cumberland County during their lives – Diane and Jay Brown. The Browns played a major role in forming the plan for a permanent campus, then helped lead the fundraising effort to build the facility. The name “Diane and Jay Brown Campus” is now featured on signage at the entrance to campus.

The Cumberland County Campus is Roane State’s third largest of ten locations. It opened its doors in 1998 and was the first permanent campus to be constructed when the college began serving additional counties in East Tennessee.

The total estimated cost of the health science wing expansion was $2.5 million. The State of Tennessee funded $1.7 million, and local government provided a combined $250,000 between donations from the City of Crossville and Cumberland County.