NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Of all the books in Greg Jones' office, there's probably not one that's guided him through the last 365 days.
“It's been a great year. COVID has obviously complicated things throughout the year, but we've navigated it well as a community,” Belmont University President Jones said.
One year ago this week, Jones officially took over as CEO, succeeding longtime CEO Bob Fisher, who was retiring.
A year later, Jones is ready to share his vision for Belmont's next chapter. “We have a godly dream: By 2030, we want to be the leading Christ-centered university in the world,” Jones said.
Like the city of Nashville, Belmont University has grown at an incredible rate, but its new president says he wants the university to grow in quality as well as quantity.
“We want to be known as the university of Nashville and Middle Tennessee,” Jones said. “We want to be a place where people say, 'We need more leaders like this.'”
Part of that vision includes establishing a new medical school on campus.
“There's a big hole in Wedgewood and they're building a 200,000-square-foot building with a parking lot underneath,” Jones said.
Once the school opens, it plans to partner with Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America to provide hands-on training.
“We look forward to receiving approval this fall to admit our first class of students in fall 2023,” he said.
Belmont has gained national attention in many ways since hosting presidential debates in 2008 and 2020. Jones said he would like to see that tradition continue if possible. “We want to be a place that brings the community together, whether it's local, state or national, and we're always interested in those opportunities,” Jones said.
Though Jones didn't attend Belmont, his family's connection to the school is a fascinating one: From his office window, he can get a glimpse of his family's old apartment. “It's literally right across the street, across from Wedgwood, where they lived,” he says.
On the wall of his office is a century-old report card that was unearthed a few months after he'd already been on the job.
“This is my grandmother's transcript from when she attended Ward Belmont High School in 1922-1923,” Jones said.
Jones said she didn't even know her grandmother attended Belmont University until she got a call from her uncle last year.
“My mother only got A's in discipline, order and cleanliness. She wasn't as good a student as she said she was in her grandmother's day,” he said with a laugh.
Jones said these are reminders of how fortunate he is to be a part of the Belmont family, one he hopes to remain a part of for the rest of his career.
“This will be my final stop. I plan on staying here until I retire or get old,” Jones said.
