Twenty-six members of the Belmont community were named to Nashville Post’s “In Charge 2024” list, a group of determined and influential change-makers within Nashville. Honorees include current faculty and staff members, university leaders and alumni who encourage and inspire innovation throughout the city.
2024 Honorees
Charlie Apigian: Dr. Apigian formerly served as Executive Director of the Belmont Data Collaborative from 2021-2023. He has been a full-time professor at Belmont since 2021 and hosts the “Data 4 All” podcast. In 2023, Dr. Apigian was named Community Leader of the Year by the Greater Nashville Tech Council.
Casey Alexander: Alexander has been the Belmont Men's basketball head coach since 2019. He has amassed a 118-43 record in five seasons with the Bruins, good for a .733 win percentage.
Todd Alexander: Alexander graduated from Belmont in 1996 and is now Principal and Director of Real Estate Services at Southeast Venture.
Corinne Bergeron: Bergeron was named the Executive Director and CEO of the Frist Foundation in 2022 and graduated from Belmont with a political science degree in 2004.
Scott Corley: Corley, Belmont's Director of Athletics since 2016, spearheaded the Bruins' move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022. Corley also graduated from Belmont in 1990.
Yuri Cunza: Cunza operates as the CEO of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce after graduating from Watkins College of Art in 2001.
Michael Cuffe: In 2022, Cuffe was named Chief Clinical Officer and Executive Vice President of HCA Healthcare. Additionally, Cuffe joined the Belmont University Board of Trust in 2023.
Stephen Eaves: Dr. Eaves has served as the Dean of Belmont's College of Music and Performing Arts since 2019, having joined the university in 2016.
Butch Eley: Eley founded Infrastructure Corporation of America, now HDR | ICA, in 1998. He currently serves as the Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation after earning earned his undergraduate degree and MBA from Belmont in 1984.
Alberto Gonzalez: Shortly after Belmont’s School of Law achieved accreditation, Dr. Gonzalez was named Dean of the school in 2014, where he also teaches.
Cordia Harrington: A Belmont Board of Trust member since 2008, Harrington acts as CEO of Crown Bakeries, a business she launched in 1996.
Jeff Hollingshead: Hollingshead earned his undergraduate degree at Belmont University in 2015 and now serves as CEO of Smyrna Ready Mix.
Greg Jones: Dr. Jones has served as Belmont University's President since 2021, leading the institution with hope-inspired leadership and instilling a sense of purpose among the community.
Watechia Lawless Mitchell: Mitchell, who earned her MBA from Belmont in 2002, currently acts as the Director of Children and Youth at the Office of Mayor Freddie O'Connell.
Karen Lewis: In 2021, Dr. Lewis joined Belmont as the Founding Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity at the Frist College of Medicine, set to launch in fall 2024.
Cindy Mabe: Mabe, a 1995 Belmont graduate, is the CEO and Chair at Universal Music Group Nashville and is considered the first woman to serve as chair and CEO of a major label group in the city.
Burke Nihill: Nihill has been with the Tennessee Titans organization since 2018 and was named President and CEO in 2020, leading the charge for the team's new $2.1 billion stadium. Nihill also serves on Belmont's Board of Trust.
Emanuel “E.J.” Reed: Reed is co-owner of Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria, a restaurant that has expanded from Nashville into additional markets including California and Georgia. Reed earned his MBA from Belmont in 2012.
Aaron Salow: Salow founded tech company XOi where he acts as CEO. In August 2023, XOi ranked 2,313 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, a list comprised of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Salew earned his MBA in Negotiation and Mediation from Belmont in 2012.
Anderson Spickard: Dr. Spickard is the Dean of Belmont’s Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine.
Barry Shrum: Dr. Shrum, a Belmont professor since 2009, is also the founder and managing partner of Shrum Disney & Associates, established the same year.
Mike Sistad: Since 2019, Sistad has operated as ASCAP's Vice President of Nashville Membership, an organization he has worked for since 2001 after graduating from Belmont with a music business degree in 1992.
Sean Wright: As a 1995 Belmont graduate, Wright founded Affinity Technology Partners in 2002 and acts as president of the consulting company in 2024.
Sarah Worley: Worley is co-owner of Biscuit Love, a restaurant that began in a food truck and now boasts five locations across Tennessee and Alabama with a sixth location set to open in Cincinnati, Ohio in fall 2024. Worley received her bachelor's from Belmont and went on to complete the Master of Accountancy in 2015.
Brad Vieira: Viera graduated from Belmont in 1997 and acts as Regional CEO of ServisFirst Bank Nashville, pioneering the bank’s expansion into Tennessee from Alabama.
John Wark: Wark is the CEO of Nashville Software School, a nonprofit coding bootcamp he founded in 2012. Previously, Wark was a Belmont adjunct professor from 2005-2014.
The diverse group of Belmont leaders recognized on the "In Charge 2024" list exemplifies the university's mission to produce graduates of character and influence. From business trailblazers and civic innovators to academic pioneers and cultural ambassadors, these honorees embody Belmont's commitment to education in service of the community.
If you were listed on Nashville Post’s “In Charge 2024” but were not featured in this story, please email communication@belmont.edu.