Ileia HookDirector of Parent EngagementView BioOur Director, Ileia Hook, who is originally from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago has found her home in Nashville for more than 10 years. She became passionate about student services during her time as an academic scholar at Northern Illinois University and has more recently found joy embracing our parent community. After relocating to Tennessee to become a Belmont University Residence Director in 2009, she knew that this institution was where she wanted to positively impact lives. Since then, Ileia has served the Belmont community in various ways, including as an Admissions Coordinator for the Curb College and now as the Director of Development and Parent Engagement.
Ileia is also a seasoned vocalist and worship leader who has lent her vocal abilities to various artists ranging from Grammy Award-winning country group, Lady Antebellum, to Grammy-nominated Gospel sensation, Todd Dulaney. She has also offered vocal support via live and/or session vocals for albums and tracks released by Celine Dion, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Nicole C. Mullen, Jordan Feliz, Aaron Shust and many more. Most recently, she toured with CCM greats Natalie Grant and Danny Gokey. Ileia continues to sing BGVs for various artists as a live and session vocalist when not on the Belmont campus.
Beyond the music and beyond the job description, Ileia’s greatest desire is to see people transformed by the love of Christ and to help students come into the fullness of their greatest God-given gifts. She loves meeting and encouraging our Belmont community, especially parents. You can reach Ileia via email at ileia.hook@belmont.edu.
Ryan HoltAssistant Dean of Students & Director of New Student Orientation ProgramsView BioRyan Holt is the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Engagement at Belmont University. Having grown up up in the great state of South Dakota, Ryan now lives in Nashville with his wife, Megan, and daughter, Iris.
Ryan has 15 years of higher education experience and proudly expresses that he is honored to work at an institution where he can get up every day and impact the lives of students.
From New Student Orientation Programs and Student Activities to Student Clubs & Organizations, Student Government and Greek Life, Ryan loves helping students find their passion and home at Belmont. You will most likely catch him carrying a cup of coffee, running a leadership workshop for students, or updating his fantasy football league.
Ryan realizes how integral parents are to the Belmont community and is excited to help provide resources and connections for all Bruin Parents.
Brooke BranninDirector of University AdmissionsView BioBrooke Brannin is our Director of University Admissions at Belmont. Thrilled to now call Nashville home, Brooke is a proud Texan at heart. She grew up in San Antonio and attended Texas Christian University (hence her passion for the color purple) where she received her BBA in Marketing. Upon graduation, she decided to venture to the Midwest and moved to Indianapolis to work in fundraising for two years. Brooke says she could never get used to the cold and snowy winters, so she moved back south to Dallas, Texas to work for the University of Dallas in the Admission Office. While there, she received her MBA and found her calling in higher education. Eight years later she learned about Belmont and with great enthusiasm joined our incredible Belmont family. If you were to ask her, she’d say “The unique and distinctive academic programs, inspiring Christian community, and thriving student body are unlike any school I know. I’m lucky to call Belmont home and look forward to working with you throughout your college selection process!” Brooke is an amazing resource and we are grateful to have her serve as a part of our Parent Engagement team!
Shelby TriceAssistant Director of Residence LifeView BioShelby Trice joined the Belmont University community in 2016 as a Residence Director overseeing Hail Hall, Wright Hall and the Hillside Apartments during different periods of her Residence Director position. She has a passion for student development and before coming to us worked in Residence Life for four years at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. She acquired her Bachelors Degree in Biology Health Science (Tennessee Technological University, 2013) and her Masters degree in Organizational Leadership (Trevecca Nazarene University, 2020). She has since moved into the Assistant Director of Residence Life role in the summer of 2020 where she supervises a portion of the Resident Director staff. She manages many of the administrative functions of the Residence Life office, facilitates trainings for competency development with student leaders and professional staff, assists in student support resources with students in crisis, and participates in emergency response to support residential students. In addition to her work at Belmont - she is a wife to Dr. Drake Trice, a Physical Therapist, a mother to a 6 month old son, and a kids ministry volunteer at her church. Shelby is a valued member of our team and we look forward to connecting you with her! 
Clayton WalkerAdmissions CounselorView BioClayton Walker is one of our remarkable Admissions Counselors who serves as a parent liaison on the Parent Engagement Team. As an enthusiastic frontline member of the Belmont community, he’ll likely be one of the firsts to greet you and say, “I am so excited to get to know you!” Born in Nashville but raised in Ohio, Clayton would also say, “I knew I wanted to attend a medium-sized college back in the South and Belmont was the perfect fit. During my time as a student at Belmont, I was able to surround myself with an incredible community while challenging myself in and out of the classroom.” He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and continued on in our 4+1 program to pursue his MBA. During his time at Belmont, he discovered a passion for working with parents and for helping students find the perfect fit along their college selection journey. We are thrilled to have Clayton on our team and we hope you’re just as thrilled to meet him!
