Belmont Abbey College, Charlotte - Belmont NC - Admissions - Admissions Team - Liberal Arts:Catholic Benedictine heritage



	Roger Jones Director of Admission and Transfer Counselor RogerLJones@bac.edu
Born in Erie , Pennsylvania , Roger spent the majority of his “growing pains” years in Erie , but his more formative teenage years were spent in the Carolinas as a Marine Corps dependent. He lived at both Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and at Camp Lejeune before graduating from Jacksonville High School . A graduate of Pembroke State University (now The University of North Carolina at Pembroke), he continued his time there as an Admissions Representative and Counselor. He has also served as an Assistant Director at UNC Charlotte as well as a recruiter at Central Piedmont Community College . Roger is very active within the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. However, the most important daily tasks he has are being a husband to his wife Lori, and a father to his daughter Brenna.
	Sharon Johns Data Entry Specialists SharonJohns@bac.edu
Sharon began working at the Abbey in July of 2006. She is also a self-employed artist and has had her own business, DreamStar Designs, for twenty years. Recently she has sculpted replicas of historic local buildings, including one of the Abbey Basilica. When not sculpting or doing data entry, Sharon enjoys photography and international travel. In the last ten years she has island hopped in Greece and explored museums and churches in Italy , as well as other countries in Europe . She is especially interested in Southeast Asian culture and art and her last trip included Thailand , Cambodia , and Vietnam . Sharon has a BA in History and Art from Gardner-Webb University , and has lived in Belmont for the past twelve years.
	Jon Blackwell Admission Counselor JonBlackwell@bac.edu
Jon is originally from Hartsville , South Carolina . He graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 2000 where he received a degree in History. Following graduation he worked in the legal technology industry for several prominent law firms in the Charleston area. Jon is not only a member of the Admissions Team, but also a student at the Abbey. He is currently seeking a second bachelor’s degree in Business Administration concentrating in Motor Sports Management. “It has been a dream of mine to work in NASCAR since I was a kid growing up in Darlington County . The demand for management in the racing industry has steadily increased along with the sport’s growth and popularity. I am truly blessed and thankful that I have been given the opportunity to follow my dream.” Jon is a true South Carolina boy. He is an avid shag dancer and beach goer. If you come to visit our campus and spot a guy wearing a brightly colored seersucker suit and bowtie, that’s Jon!

	Dawn Simmons Office Manager of Admissions DawnSimmons@bac.edu
Dawn Simmons is the Office Manager of Admissions here at Belmont Abbey College and is here to support the team. Dawn has over 10 years of Administrative and Finance experience. Having worked in the corporate world, Dawn has found that working here at the Abbey has proven to be rewarding and challenging! When not overseeing the day-to-day operations of Admissions, Dawn enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and being an active member of the Junior League of Gaston County. However, Dawn’s greatest enjoyment comes from being a mother to her daughter and wife to her husband. Dawn has an AS in Office Administration and Medical Office from Gaston College, and in the near future, she plans to finish her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration here at Belmont Abbey College.
	Cooper Gallimore
While born in Northern Virginia, Cooper grew up in Charlotte, NC which he still calls his home. He left to attend St. John's College in Annapolis, MD from which he graduated in 2005. He then went on to spend the next two years at St. John's as an Admissions Counselor. After taking a hiatus from admissions to spend a year in law schol at Notre Dame, Cooper returned to admissions and joined the Belmont Abbey team in 2008. A huge fan of traditional bluegrass music, Cooper divides his free time between playing his guitar, hiking and rock climbing and reading anything he can get his hands on.

	Danielle Blanchard Admissions Counselor DanielleBlanchard
A native of Louisiana, Danielle began working at the Abbey in July of 2007. Growing up, she split her time among family in Baton Rouge and New Orleans and eventually wound up graduating from the University of Louisiana – Monroe after a short stint as an LSU Tiger. During and after college Danielle worked in the marketing department of a book publisher until joining the admissions team at Belmont Abbey College. As a devoted Saints fan Danielle is clearly a glutton for punishment who also enjoys reading and exploring her new home state. Danielle loves to watch the Food Network and think about getting off of the sofa to cook.
	Jeff Jost
Jeffrey is originally from Huntington, NY (Long Island). He graduated from the University in Charleston, WV in 1996 with a degree in psychology. Following graduation he worked for his alma mater serving as Senior Admissions Counselor until 2000. From 2001-2002 he then worked as an International Admissions Counselor for Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. Soon after getting married in 2002, he decided to move to Charlotte, NC and proceeded to work for UNC Charlotte, where he was Assistant Director of Admissions. He claims to be addicted to higher education (espcially admissions). In his spare time he enjoys to play golf, soccer, cook out and spend time with his lovely wife Diane and children Isaac and Samantha. He is also looking forward to football season as his favorite NFL team have a new quarterback. J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

	Meagan Smith Admissions Counselor MeaganSmith@bac.edu
Meagan Smith is originally from Sparta, North Carolina which is located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. She graduated from Appalachian State University in May of 2007, with degree in Public/Organizational Communication. During her time at Appalachian she did many things including working in the Office of Admissions, spending her free time with her best friends in the world and she also had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica. After graduation Meagan was able to continue working for the admissions office as a university representative, traveling and recruiting for Appalachian State. After getting a little glimpse all that goes into working in the world of higher education -specifically admissions- she realized it is a world in which she wanted to continue to work. Meagan is so excited to be at Belmont Abbey College, a college that she believes in, and she is ready to reach out to students and help them achieve their college dreams.
	Katherine Blum Admissions Counselor KatherineBlum@bac.edu
Katie graduated in May 2007 from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Spanish. At Meredith, Katie served as a Transfer Student Ambassador and was involved in a variety of volunteer programs on campus. During her senior year of college, Katie spent four months studying abroad in Madrid, Spain and exploring the Spanish culture. She recently moved to the Charlotte area from Apex, North Carolina to join the Belmont Abbey Team as an Admissions Counselor. In her spare time, Katie loves to travel, discover new recipes, and root for the Carolina Hurricanes. Go Canes!