NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 8, 2025) – After years of steady growth, and in a move to meet the growing marketing needs of more Southeastern companies, Nashville-based independent agency MP&F is proud to announce the opening of an office in Knoxville, Tenn. To lead its new office, the agency has appointed Tiffany Carpenter as principal.

A former client and trusted collaborator, Carpenter brings more than 30 years of experience in public relations, marketing and strategic communications. As vice president for Communications and Marketing for the University of Tennessee System, she partnered closely with MP&F for three years.

“I was immediately impressed by MP&F’s strategic thinking, creativity and commitment to results,” Carpenter said. “Over the past few years, our partnership has made a real impact, and when the opportunity came to help lead the agency’s growth in East Tennessee, it felt like a perfect fit.”

The decision for the 38-year-old agency to open another location was based on harnessing growth opportunities in the vibrant business region of East Tennessee—encompassing Knoxville, Chattanooga and the TriCities area. The agency has had a footprint in Washington, D.C., since 2008 that focuses primarily on servicing federal clients.

Carpenter’s impressive background includes time at UT, where she held several leadership roles, including assistant athletic director for UT Athletics and vice president for Communications and Marketing for the UT System. She pioneered the award-winning “Everywhere You Look, UT” grassroots marketing campaign, which significantly increased statewide visibility and public trust in the university. With Carpenter’s experience in the client role and as a brand-side leader, she brings a new perspective on what brands, CMOs and communications professionals want.

“With Tiffany’s expertise, we feel our plans for the Knoxville location are stronger than ever,” said Knight Stivender, agency partner and co-owner. “Given her instincts of what brands need and want from their agency partner, we’re already dreaming bigger for what we’ll offer our clients, and we plan to deliver.”

Carpenter’s background also includes agency experience with The Ingram Group and Atkinson Public Relations, where she led communications efforts for major health care, financial services, technology and sports clients across the Southeast—including supporting the launch of the NHL’s Nashville Predators. 

MP&F’s Knoxville expansion is in part thanks to big wins for the agency over the last two years. MP&F has welcomed Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee and McKee Foods Corporation (parent company of beloved snack cake brand Little Debbie) to its ranks—as well as a number of accounts that have made consistent year-over-year growth possible.

The move to Knoxville also allows the agency to increase its current operations outside of its Nashville office space, with the goal of hiring Knoxville-based employees in the next year. 

The opening is the agency’s next chapter in its evolution story. A firm that was founded in 1987 by three male former journalists has become a wholly women-owned agency, led by Jennifer Brantley, Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis and Knight Stivender. It was just a few years ago that the agency reinvented itself as a full-service agency, offering everything on the communications spectrum from advertising to marketing to public relations. As a fully integrated shop, the agency has seen its most successful and most profitable years to date.

The Knoxville location will launch with a space in the downtown area with future plans to expand into a more permanent location. Carpenter begins in her post Aug. 4.