Covenant Health Names Chip Bryant as Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer

Knoxville, Tenn. – January 2024— Covenant Health is pleased to announce Chip Bryant as the health enterprise’s new vice president and chief philanthropy officer. He will oversee operations of Covenant Health’s five foundations, as well as planned giving, major gift campaigns and special events. He succeeds Patrick Birmingham, who is assuming full-time responsibilities as vice president of governmental relations for Covenant Health. Bryant will join Covenant Health on Feb. 12.

“I am pleased to welcome Chip Bryant to the role of vice president and chief philanthropy officer,” said Jim VanderSteeg, Covenant Health president and CEO. “Chip brings a humble spirit and heart for service and his community, along with fundraising expertise and years of success in leading major giving campaigns and building donor relationships. He will be an asset to our not-for-profit organization.”

“My family and I have personally witnessed the transformative impact of Covenant Health’s exceptional care,” said Bryant. “I’m excited to join Covenant Health’s team and to have the opportunity to share how the organization is positively shaping and saving lives within our community.”

Bryant has been a partner and vice president for Integrated Strategy Group (ISG) & Palmetto Philanthropy since Aug 2023. Before that, he served as vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he established valuable connections with donors and explored partnerships to expand opportunities for philanthropic gifts to the university. He spent seven years in this role, and during his tenure, his team achieved extraordinary results, setting multi-year fundraising records, raising over $1.3 billion, and fostering exceptional donor engagement. He also served as UT’s director of campus-wide campaigns and executive director of development for the Haslam College of Business.

Bryant was previously the regional vice president of Action Sports Media. He received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.