Melissa Spas
Managing Director, National Storytelling Coordination Program
melissa.spas@belmont.edu | 615.460.8447
Melissa Spas is a nonprofit leader whose work focuses on religious leadership, organizational development, financial sustainability and pedagogy for practice. Prior to her work at Belmont, she served as Vice President for Religion at Chautauqua Institution and Managing Director of Education and Engagement at Indiana University’s Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. She is a graduate of Allegheny College and Harvard Divinity School and is an active layperson in the United Methodist Church.
Libby DeGraeve
Events and Project Coordinator, National Storytelling Coordination Program
libby.godo@belmont.edu | 615.460.5852
Libby DeGraeve is a Belmont University graduate with professional experience in special projects and event planning, supporting initiatives that bring people together with clarity, care and hospitality. She is currently pursuing an MBA at Belmont, where she is sharpening her skills in organizational leadership, strategy and execution.
Kayleigh Reindl
Program and Learning Coordinator, National Storytelling Coordination Program
kayleigh.reindl@belmont.edu | 615.460.5376
Kayleigh Reindl is a graduate of Belmont University and is pursuing an M.Div. at Duke Divinity School. Alongside her academic work in theology, she brings professional experience in executive communications, shaped by the conviction that story forms the imagination and opens us to truth, goodness and beauty.
Sarah Cates
Vice President for Imagination, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, Belmont University
Sarah Cates serves as Vice President for Imagination, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships at Belmont University. She is a two-time Belmont graduate, holding a B.B.A. in Music Business and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Communication. Her work focuses on articulating Belmont’s vision, cultivating strategic partnerships and strengthening engagement with local, national and global communities, particularly across the arts and music industry.
Rick Rekedal
AWC Chair for Faith, Hope & Culture in Cinematic Arts, Chief Creative Officer, Belmont University
Rick Rekedal is an award-winning master storyteller whose three-decade career spans film, animation, games and publishing. He has held creative leadership roles at DreamWorks Studios and beyond, developing globally recognized franchises and original creative work, and currently serves in multiple storytelling-related roles at Belmont. Additionally, he provides guidance to the Coordination Program as a thought leader and serves as a consultant to grantees.
Greg Jones
President, Belmont University
Dr. L. Gregory Jones is President of Belmont University and brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, theology and social innovation. He arrived at Belmont in 2021 after many years as Dean of Duke Divinity School. Under his leadership, Belmont is advancing an ambitious vision to be the leading Christ-centered university in the world, marked by traditioned innovation, hospitality and a commitment to hope-filled education and cultural engagement.