Katherine Avery:

Katherine Avery, Associate Director of Development, joined Oglethorpe in April 2012. Prior to joining the University, Katherine was the Volunteer Coordinator and Development Officer at the Martha O’Bryan Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Before moving to Nashville, Katherine served as the Director of Program Development at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta for six years. Prior to her work in institutional advancement, Ms. Avery worked as volunteer coordinator at St. Paul’s Chapel, an Episcopal church- turned relief center just yards from Ground Zero. She arrived in New York just more than a week after September 11 and over the next months, Avery led a corps of more than 5,000 volunteers in serving half a million meals and providing numerous other services for recovery workers. She received her bachelors degree in 2000 from the University of the South Sewanee, Tennessee. Katherine is happy to be back in Atlanta enjoys cooking and reading.

John Carr:

John Carr, Director of Major Gifts, joined the staff of Oglethorpe in 2009.  A 1983 graduate of the University of the South, John also holds a Master’s degree in History from Duke University.  John taught at North Carolina State University for four years, then became Director of Development for Carolina Day School in Asheville, NC. He also served as Assistant Head for Advancement for All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, TX, Vice President of the John B. Cummings Co., Inc., a fund raising consulting firm in Dallas, TX, Assistant Head for Advancement at Hutchison School in Memphis, TN, and Director of Development for Savannah Country Day School in Savannah, GA.  John has been an active member of CASE, serving on the CASE/NAIS conference planning committee, the CASE III conference planning committee, the Board of CASE III, as well as presenting at more than a dozen CASE conferences.  A passionate sports fan, John umpired Little League baseball for 20 seasons, serving as Umpire in Chief for TN District 1 and Umpire in Chief for the TN state tournament.  John and his wife, Kelly, live in Sandy Springs.  They have one son, Robert, who is a 2008 graduate of Rhodes College.

Lindsey Carroll:

Lindsey Carroll joined OU in the summer of 2010. Lindsey graduated from Georgia College & State University in 2009 with a Bachelors in Public Relations and Advertising. Prior to graduation, Lindsey interned at Feld Entertainment working in Event Sales and Marketing for their productions of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey and Disney On Ice. Before joining OU she was the Interactive Marketing Manager for a digital marketing agency in Atlanta. In her off time, Lindsey enjoys traveling, exercising and spending time with family and friends.

Lesley Cole:

Lesley Cole, Director of Development, has served at Oglethorpe since September 2008.  Prior to joining the University, she was Director of Development at Lakeview Academy (Gainesville, GA) for nearly seven years, overseeing the Annual Fund, various capital campaigns, planned gifts, alumni activities, and parent and student fundraising.  Lesley is a professional member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and served as co-chair of the Independent Schools Track for the 2009 District III conference.  She has presented on Annual Fund topics at the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA) conference and for the Carolinas Annual Fund Conference. Prior to her career in institutional advancement, Lesley worked as an independent consultant, and domestically and internationally in marketing and project management for a global financial services provider.  She is a 1984 graduate of Auburn University and the immediate past president of the Lanierland Auburn Alumni Club. She is an elder in the Presbyterian church (PCUSA) and a member of First Presbyterian Church (Gainesville). Lesley and her husband, Jim, live in Maysville and have two children who attend Roanoke College in Virginia.

Barbara Henry:

Barbara Bessmer Henry ‘85 is the Director of Alumni Relations. Prior to joining the Alumni Office in 2003, she worked in the Office of Admission at Oglethorpe for 15 years. All those years in Admissions have served her well as the many students she recruited are now alumni! She has primary responsibility for all alumni activities, stewards the activities of the 30 person Alumni Board and works closely with the Development, Annual Giving, Marketing and Career Services Offices in providing services and opportunities for alumni and students. Barb has a BBA in Economics from OU and enjoyed a career in the insurance and mutual fund industry prior to coming back to work at Oglethorpe. Barb is married to her college sweetheart Don Henry ’83 and they have 3 children, Meredith (23), Austin (21) and Mitchell (18). Her family loves to travel and spend time at Lake Oconee

George Kopec:

George Kopec is the Director of Development Services at Oglethorpe University. George has been with the University since 2003. He has previously worked in the development offices of Point Park College and Georgia State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh. George recently completed his third term as President of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA), and is currently serving as a member of the Nominations and Leadership Development Committee for APRA-International.

Kevin Smyrl

Kevin Smyrl is the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Oglethorpe University. Kevin joined the University in June 2012. He Kevin Smyrl began his professional career in 1997 working for Special Olympics Georgia. In that role, he was responsible for organizing statewide trainings for athletes and coaches. He quickly moved into a development position where he found his true passion. Over the course of his 15-year career Kevin has worked in development in the fields of special populations, sports, and higher education. In 2006, Kevin joined Oxford College of Emory University as the Director of Development and was soon appointed the Chief Development Officer. Kevin led the office of Development and Alumni Relations through some of the most successful fund-raising years in college history; which coincided with the college’s multi-year, $40 million comprehensive campaign.In addition to his professional responsibilities, Kevin is also very active in the community. He is a member of CASE, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and serves on the Pastoral Council of St. Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church in Snellville. Kevin was born in Decatur, grew up in metro Atlanta, and currently lives in Loganville with his wife Lisa and their young children Philip and Katherine.