Faculty Category: Staff

NOVA LAWRENCE

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Liaison for Enrollment Outreach
Work Email: nlawrence@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 453-6449
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 106A
Category: Staff
Department: Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services
Bio:

Nova joined Cumberland University in October of 2013 and started working with the Advancement office. In September 2018 she moved to the admissions office to work with incoming students.

Prior to coming to Cumberland, Nova has been active in real estate obtaining her Tennessee license in 1996 and Graduate Realtor Institute in 1998. She owned a local business for several years and is a former employee of Wilson Bank and Trust.

Nova is married and has 2 children Scott Lawrence and Heather Lawrence Wyrick who are graduates of Cumberland. She has 2 grandchildren and enjoys cooking, sewing and spending time with her family.

SHANE KEELY

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Head Men's Soccer Coach
Work Email: skeely@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 453-6335
Location: CU Soccer Field
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.P.S., University of Memphis
M.B.A., Christian Brothers University
Bio:

Former Christian Brothers University player and coach Shane Keely joins the Cumberland staff as a full-time assistant coach for the 2017 season.

Over the past two season at Cumberland, the Men’s Soccer program has achieved Mid-South Conference Regular Season Champions and Tournament champions. Keely primarily coachs the goalkeepers and assisted Bennett Strutz on achieving First Team All Mid-South Conference in both 2017 and 2018 as well as MSC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.

In the summer, Keely is an assistant coach for the USL League 2 Reading United in Reading, Pa. In 2018, the Reading United club went undefeated in the regular season on their way to USL League 2 Mid-Atlantic Conference Champions, Eastern Conference Champions, and National Champions Runner-Up. This past summer the team won the USL League 2 Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship for the second year in a row.

Keely served the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Christian Brothers, organizing travel, recruiting international as well as local players for the program while managing and delegating scholarships. He designed and implemented practice plans and organized and maintained team videos and analysis technology.

As a player the Dublin, Ireland, native posted three goals and one assist as a senior at CBU in 18 matches in 2014, including a pair of game-winning goals. The Bucs finished that season 14-3-1 overall, reaching the NCAA South Regional.

He spent two seasons at the University of Memphis, seeing action in 12 matches with 10 starts and registering one assist in 2012. He recorded four goals and four assists in 18 outings with nine starts in 2013, including three game-winning goals.

Keely holds a USSF D License, U18 Division 1 coach with NUSA and a U16 Division 2 girls with NUSA licences.

Keely earned his bachelor’s in Professional Studies with disciplines in Sports Management and Health Promotion from Memphis in 2014. He received a certificate in Project Management from Christian Brothers in 2014 and a master’s in Business Administration from CBU in May 2017.

 

STACY KELLY

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Associate Director of Financial Aid
Work Email: skelly@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1254
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 108E
Category: Staff
Department: Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services
Degrees:
B.A., Missouri Western State University
M.A.E., Cumberland University
Bio:

Stacy joined Cumberland University in May 2005 as an Accountant with the Business Office. In May 2006 Stacy moved to the Financial Aid Office as a Coordinator of Financial Aid and then was quickly promoted to Associate Director of Financial Aid. She is currently responsible for assisting current and prospective students with all aspects of the financial aid process. 

Stacy graduated from Missouri Western State University in 1996 with a dual degree in Technical Communications and English. Most recently, Stacy received her Master’s Degree in Education from Cumberland University in May 2012. She currently resides in Lebanon with her husband Lee and son Evan. She likes reading and movies and spending time with her family. 

B.A., Missouri Western State University

M.A., Education, Cumberland University

 

KRISTIN KANNON

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Executive Assistant to the Dean and Office Manager for the Janette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Work Email: kkannon@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1274
Location: McFarland Hall, Room 1112
Category: Staff
Degrees:
B.S., Tennessee Technological University
M.B.A., Cumberland University
Bio:

Kristin Kannon has worked at Cumberland University since spring of 2011. She is the office manager at the School of Nursing and Health Professions, where she works with students and faculty to facilitate communication, data gathering, record keeping and overall organization.

Kristin has a background in service management and customer service. She spent 12 years as a service manager at an international tropical plant company, where they installed and maintained tropical plants and atriums in 250 businesses around the Metropolitan Nashville area.

Kristin received a Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee Tech University in 1987 and earned a Master of Business Administration from Cumberland University in 2020.

In her spare time, she enjoys working outside in the garden, reading, and playing percussion in a local community band.

BEATRICE LACHANCE

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Executive Director of Student Financial Services
Work Email: blachance@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1244
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 108D
Category: Staff
Department: Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services
Degrees:
A.S., Northern Essex Community College
A.S., Northern Essex Community College
B.B.A., Cumberland University
M.B.A., Cumberland University
Bio:

Ms. LaChance joined Cumberland University in January of 2006 as the Assistant Director of Student Financial Services (SFS). In October of 2006, she was promoted to the Director of Financial Aid. Ms. LaChance administers federal, state, and institutional financial aid funds and services. She along with her staff is responsible for assisting current and prospective students with all aspects of the financial aid process. She has over 20 years’ experience in higher education administration in 2-year public, 4-year private and proprietary institutions. Ms. LaChance has held positions in Compliance, Financial Services, Enrollment Services, and as a College Bursar.

Ms. LaChance is a graduate of Cumberland University with both a bachelor and master’s degree in Business Administration. In addition, she graduated from Northern Essex Community College with an AS in Accounting and an AS in Business Management with a concentration in Computer Applications. Originally, from Salem, Massachusetts, Ms. LaChance currently resides in Gallatin, TN and enjoys spending time with family, reading, travel and life-long learning.

 

CHRISTIAN KIESEL

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Athletic Trainer
Work Email: ckiesel@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 453-6327
Location: Main Athletic Training Building
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.S., Heidelberg University
M.S., SUNY Cortland
Bio:

Christian Kiesel began his first year as an Assistant Athletic Trainer in the Athletic Training program in August 2020. Kiesel oversees athlete care, injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation for men’s basketball, men’s soccer, and men’s and women’s bowling.

Kiesel spent the past two years as a graduate assistant at SUNY Cortland providing primary team coverage to both the men’s ice hockey and women’s field hockey programs. He also spent time providing split coverage for the Cortland baseball program. 

Prior to his graduate assistant position, Kiesel gained experience through several clinical rotations at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. He helped provide care for several of the university’s athletic teams as well as local high schools. While at Heidelberg, Kiesel also worked as a Finish Line First Responder at the Akron Half-Marathon and the Chicago Marathon.

Kiesel played soccer at Heidelberg from 2014-2017 as a forward. He saw his most action his senior season starting three games and seeing action in 16 of the team’s 17 games. Kiesel was a member of the 2014 team that won the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament championship. He earned Academic All Ohio honors in 2016, Academic All-OAC in 2016-17, Landess Award winner in 2015, 2017-18, and on the Dean’s List each of the four years.

Kiesel earned his Bachelor of Science, Athletic Training with minors in History and Wellness from Heidelberg University in May 2018. From there he went to SUNY Cortland as a Graduate Assistant for Athletic Training where he received his Master of Science, Exercise Science degree

 

 

RONALD (WOODY) HUNT

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Assistant Athletic Director, Development Officer for Advancement, and Athletic Facilities Manager
Work Email: whunt@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1366
Location: CU Baseball Field
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department (Additional Duties), Office of Advancement
Degrees:
B.S., Belmont Univeristy
M.S., Middle Tennessee State University
Bio:

Cumberland University’s Woody Hunt begins his 39th season as head coach and 41st year with the program in 2020. The Phoenix have won three NAIA national championships (2004, 2010, 2014) as well as two runner-up finishes (1995, 2006) during his tenure at CU. He has amassed a 1|599-739-5 overall record heading into the 2020 campaign, including 1|538-713-5 as a four-year institution.

The Phoenix have appeared in 12 NAIA World Series, including six in 11 seasons from 2004-14. Cumberland has won 20 regular season conference championships during Hunt’s tenure, including 10 in the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC), six in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) and four in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC). CU has four district championships, 12 NAIA regional titles and has played in five super regionals as well.

The program has posted 24 seasons with 40 or more victories, including 20 of the last 27 years, while registering 50 or more wins eight times, all since 1997. The 2004 squad set the school-record for victories with 59, followed closely behind by the 2010 club with a 58-9 mark.

The Phoenix have produced 69 NAIA All-Americans, including 2010 National Player of the Year Matt Greener and Steve Green, the only three-time All-American in program history. Eighty of Hunt’s former players have signed professional contracts.

The Phoenix posted a 519-216 record (.706) from 2004-14 with six NAIA World Series appearances, one runner-up finish and three national titles.

Hunt has also achieved individual success in the awards category, claiming 17 Coach of the Year honors, including the 2006 and 2010 Rawlings National Coach of the Year awards. He is a seven-time Southeast Region Coach of the Year and has also been a finalist for the National Coach of the Year Award four times.

Perhaps his greatest achievement lies in the facilities in which his team plays, practices and dresses. Cumberland has one of the finest baseball facilities in the nation, second to none in the NAIA, with Ernest L. Stockton Field and its 500 chairback seats and state-of-the-art press box. The Benton Jennings Indoor Hitting Complex provides year-round access to the Phoenix hitters and pitchers for workouts in inclement weather, and the Jeanette C. Rudy Clubhouse has 40 individual lockers as well as a lounge with a big-screen television, coaches offices, dressing areas and trophy cases.

 

CHRISTINA HOLLIS

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Head Bowling Coach
Work Email: chollis@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1364
Location: Phoenix Nest
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.A., University of Pikeville
M.B.A., University of Pikeville
Bio:

Hollis is a graduate of the University of Pikeville and a four-year member of the Bears program from 2010-2014. During her collegiate bowling career, she was a part of the Bears 2012 NAIA National Championship team as well as 2013 and 2014 Xbowling National Collegiate Team Championship Runner-Up 2013.

Hollis earned First-Team NAIA All-American honors, National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American, and First-Team Mid-South Conference in 2014.

After graduating, Hollis began her coaching career as a Graduate Assitant for the Women’s Bowling program at Pikeville from 2014-2016. She assisted with recruiting, practice plans, and statistical entries for tournaments. After Pikeville, she went to Union College assisting their men’s team to a Mid-South Conference Runner-Up, was an assistant coach at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, and most recently an assistant coach here at CU since August 2020.

“I am excited that Christina will be our Interim Head Men’s and Women’s Bowling Coach. She brings a wealth of experience to help build strong programs. Christina has already been a volunteer for the program so she knows the players and the Cumberland University culture|” Director of Athletics Ron Pavan said. 

Hollis graduated from the University of Pikeville with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Business in 2014 and a Masters in Business Administration in 2016.

RYAN HUNT

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Head Baseball Coach
Work Email: rhunt@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1325
Location: CU Baseball Field
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.S., Cumberland University
M.A.E.., Cumberland University
Bio:

Ryan Hunt begins his first season as the head baseball coach at Cumberland after spending the last six seasons as the head coach at Vol State Community College.

Hunt compiled a 110-100 record entering the 2021 campaign which he is currently 124-110. Prior to Vol State, Hunt was a longtime assistant coach under Woody Hunt from 2002-2015.

Cumberland has won four Tran South Conference and one Mid-South Conference regular-season championships and six Tran South Conference and one Mid-South Conference Tournament title during his tenure as an assistant. The Bulldogs have also claimed five regional championships, four super regional titles and played in six NAIA World Series, winning national championships in 2004, 2010, and 2014. CU was also the NAIA World Series runner-up in 2006 and finished fourth in the nation in 2005.

Hunt has coached 20 NAIA All-Americans and 22 players who signed professional contracts during the previous 12 campaigns.

During his five years at Cumberland as a player, the Bulldogs claimed five conference championships, four conference tournament titles, and two regional championships, advancing to the NAIA World Series in 1997 and 1998.

Hunt graduated from Cumberland with a bachelor’s in Physical Education in 2003 and earned a master’s in Education in 2007.

The Lebanon, Tenn., native was a four-year starter at second base at Lebanon High School from 1993-96, earning All-District honors as a sophomore and senior and All-Midstate Honorable Mention as a sophomore.

He is married to the former Melissa Lauper of Gallatin, Tenn., and the couple has two daughters – eight-year-old Rylee and three-year-old Lyla Noelle.

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