NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2026) –– The Belmont University Board of Trust recently added five new trustees for the start of the 2026-2027 academic year: healthcare executive Marty Bonick, banking leader Chris Holmes, gardening and conservation advocate Lisa Manning, investment management leader Larry Keele and media executive Wayne Powers. Belmont also welcomed Mary Husmann as its newest alumna regent.
Board of Trust Chair Milton Johnson, a Belmont alumnus and retired CEO/chairman of HCA Healthcare, said, "With Belmont’s Hope Transforms campaign now underway, the University is entering one of the most consequential chapters in its history, shaping scholarships, faculty and campus for generations of students to come. I am deeply grateful for the leadership this group brings to our Board.”
Marty Bonick is a healthcare executive who has led many organizations across the healthcare landscape. He brings 25 years of experience driving business growth through innovation and quality improvement. Before joining Ardent Health in 2020 where he previously served as President & CEO, Bonick served as CEO of PhyMed Healthcare Group, division president at Community Health Systems and CEO of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the boards of the Federation of American Hospitals, the Nashville Healthcare Council and the Via College of Medicine at Auburn University. Bonick holds dual master's degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois.
Chris Holmes is president and CEO of FirstBank and its holding company, FB Financial, a role he has held since 2013 after joining the bank in 2010 as chief banking officer. He has spent 34 years in banking, previously serving as director of Corporate Financial Services and chief retail banking officer for The South Financial Group and holding management positions with National Bank of Commerce and Trustmark National Bank. Holmes is vice chairman of the Tennessee Business Leadership Council and serves on the boards of Delta Dental of Tennessee and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Lisa Manning is a cardiovascular nurse by education and an alumna of Belmont's third nursing class. An avid gardener, her work in organic gardening, sustainable agriculture and native plant preservation has taken her to venues around the world, and her gardens are archived in the Smithsonian Institution. She currently chairs the Board of Directors for Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art in Nashville, where she has volunteered since graduate school.
Larry Keele has served as an advisory partner of Oaktree Capital Management since retiring from the firm in 2015. As a co-founder and principal of Oaktree, a global investment management company headquartered in Los Angeles, he spent more than 20 years leading the Convertible Securities Group and serving on its board of directors. He serves on the boards of the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, the Pinson Hospital Hospitality House and the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County. He’s also a member of the advisory board at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Keele holds a finance degree from Tennessee Tech University and an M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
Wayne Powers is an accomplished CEO, president and board director with more than 25 years of leadership experience across publicly traded, privately held and private equity-backed companies. He served as president and CEO of Catalina Marketing, leading a global transformation across the U.S., Europe and Japan, and as president of Valassis, where he transformed the direct-to-consumer media company into a fully integrated marketing services organization for clients including Procter & Gamble and Verizon. Powers has also held leadership roles at Gravity4, Parade Media Group, Yahoo! and Time Inc. He currently serves on the boards of Persist Nashville, Aegis Investments and Every Child TN, and holds a degree from The Ohio State University.
Mary Husmann joins as Belmont's newest Alumna Regent. A recent Belmont graduate active in the Accounting Department, Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Belmont Dance Company, Husmann is an incoming Master of Science in Accountancy student at the University of Notre Dame. Following graduate school, she will begin her career with PwC in Nashville as a tax associate.
"Each of these leaders brings a story shaped by purpose and character, and we're glad to welcome them into Belmont's story,” said Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones. “With their guidance, Belmont is well-positioned for what's ahead.”
About Belmont University
Located near the heart of thriving Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University consists of nearly 9,000 students who come from every state and 33 countries. The University is nationally recognized for its innovative approach as well as its commitment to undergraduate teaching (U.S. News & World Report). As a Christ-centered, student-focused community, Belmont’s mission is to develop diverse leaders of purpose, character and wisdom who possess a transformational mindset and are eager and equipped to make the world a better place. With more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and eight doctoral degrees, Belmont University aims to be the leading Christ-centered university in the world, producing leaders who will radically champion the pursuit of life abundant for all people.
Belmont University Media Contact
Julia Copeland, Director of PR
julia.copeland@belmont.edu
615.460.6178