Duke Divinity Dean Dr. L. Gregory Jones appointed Belmont’s new president.
Effective June 1, Belmont welcomed a new First Family to campus as former dean of Duke Divinity School Dr. L. Gregory Jones took over the helm as president of Belmont. Jones and his wife, the Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones, moved to Nashville from North Carolina in May. Dr. Jones brings more than 30 years of higher education experience as a faculty member, administrator, consultant and strategist.
Marty Dickens, who chaired the Presidential Succession Committee, said, “Finding a president to follow Bob Fisher is no easy task, but we couldn’t be more pleased that Dr. Greg Jones has agreed to serve as the next leader of Belmont University. An exceptional scholar, tremendous communicator and strategic thinker, Dr. Jones will bring great imagination and energy to his role and will cultivate a dynamic, thriving culture that continues to focus on student success. Most importantly, as a devoted Christian and ordained minister, Dr. Jones will ensure Belmont’s ecumenical Christian identity endures and is strengthened in the years to come.”
Dr. Greg and Rev. Susan Jones spent their first day as Belmont’s new First Couple meeting with campus constituents, civic officials and community leaders.
Known for his entrepreneurial leadership and fundraising ability, Jones served as dean of Duke Divinity School from 1997-2010 and again from 2018 until this May. Between 2010 and 2018, he served in a variety of roles, including vice president and vice provost for global strategy at Duke University and also as provost and executive vice president of Baylor University. In his tenure as Dean, Jones strengthened the Divinity School’s financial trajectory, diversified the faculty and staff and led a strategic planning process that garnered great enthusiasm for the school’s future, all while setting new records for gifts to the Annual Fund and to the Divinity School overall.
Jones said, “I am honored, humbled and delighted to be invited to serve as President of Belmont University. I have long admired Belmont as a university that brings together the best of Christian faith, an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong focus on forming and educating students through excellent faculty and staff. President Bob Fisher has provided extraordinary leadership over the past two decades, and I look forward to working with the Belmont community to build on all that has been accomplished as we look forward to a bold and exciting future.”
To learn more about the Joneses and their vision for Belmont, visit president.belmont.edu.
