Nathan Elton, Director
704-894-2492 / naelton@davidson.edu

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Nathan has worked in higher education for over ten years. As an undergrad, he received a B.S. in Business Administration (double major in marketing and accounting) from The Ohio State University and received a M.Ed. in Counselor Education with a concentration in college counseling from Pennsylvania State University. Nathan joined the Office of Career Services at Davidson in July of 2010 after working in the career services offices at Oberlin College and Conservatory, Villanova University and the Pennsylvania State University. Outside of work Nathan enjoys spending time with his wife, Molly, and their daughter, Olivia. His interests include backpacking, local foods, travel and sports (he is a passionate fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Ohio State football and basketball teams).

Jamie Johnson, Associate Director for Career Development
704-894-2524 / jjjohnson@davidson.edu

At age 17, Jamie left her Kentucky home to attend a small Christian liberal arts college in Southern California, where she received a BA in Speech Communications. Upon graduation she traveled to Scotland to work in a summer church camp and explore Europe with a group of friends. After working at a variety of jobs and reading Richard Bolles' now classic book What Color is Your Parachute, she realized her life calling: career counseling. Jamie received her Masters of Counseling from California State University, Northridge and is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), Master Career Counselor (MCC) and MBTI Master Practitioner. She has a wonderful husband, three dogs, three cats and a Straight Egyptian Arabian horse named Rami. And she loves talking about the Myers-Briggs.

Jeff Kniple, Associate Director for Employer Relations
704-894-2491 / jekniple@davidson.edu

Jeff brings a breadth of higher education experience and a strong Davidson connection with him to Career Services. His previous positions in admissions, orientation, leadership, and academic affairs mostly in other liberal arts colleges help prepare him for the professional challenges of this role, while marrying into a family with three Davidson graduates helps him feel at home in the community. Jeff holds a BA from Cornell in Sociology, and his MA from the University of Maryland in Education Policy and Leadership. Outside of work, he spends much of his time keeping up with his two boys and their multiple sports and various activities. He also likes to practice his photography, attend a variety of sporting events and cook- especially Carolina barbeque.   

Rita A. Baker, Assistant Director for Career Development
704-894-2191 / ribaker@davidson.edu

Rita completed her BA degree in Psychology from North Carolina State University. Her passion for working with students in higher education began in graduate school while completing an internship in the Counseling Center at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where she received her M.Ed. in Counseling. Prior to coming to Davidson, Rita held numerous positions in the Career Center at UNC Charlotte, including Senior Assistant Director working with alumni. Her previous work includes serving as the Associate Director of the Career and Personal Counseling Service, a former agency of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Rita enjoys reading about architectural design, especially the Arts and Crafts movement from the turn of the century. As a result, she and her husband designed and constructed their home to reflect this style. It's an ongoing project as they patiently build, paint, plant flowers, and create their work of "heart."

Ashley Neff, Assistant Director for Internships
704-894-2678 / asneff@davidson.edu

Raised in Ohio and upstate South Carolina, Ashley spent college and graduate school immersed in the liberal arts. She received a BA in English from the University of Florida and an MA in English from Penn State University, where she stayed to coordinate the internship program for the College of the Liberal Arts and teach composition and business writing courses. Outside of the office, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband and their new baby, Oliver, as well as running, reading, cooking, and boating on Lake Norman.  Ashley is happy to have returned to the Carolinas and loves helping Davidson students obtain valuable job shadowing, internship and post-graduate experiences.

Brenda Harvey, Recruiting Coordinator
704-894-2025 / brharvey@davidson.edu

Brenda has worked in the Career Services Office since 1995. As Recruiting Coordinator, she works with employers, many of whom are alums that she remembers as students and who are now recruiting Davidson students for jobs and internships. Brenda and her retired husband Bob have a grown daughter, Laura, who lives in Chicago, and two dogs, Ruth and Red, who are combination dachshund/beagle. She is a trained Stephen Minister at Fair View UMC in Mt. Mourne. Her community service has included the Relay For Life, where she served three years as the Co-Chair for the Mooresville relay. Her hobbies and interests include reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Julie Lucas, Office Manager
704-894-2132 / julucas@davidson.edu

Julie originally hails from northern Illinois, where she attended Rock Valley College and met her husband while working at a nuclear power plant. After relocating with her husband and two children to southwest Florida, she enjoyed a 14-year career as an assistant in an elementary school. After much research, Julie and her husband moved to Davidson in 2005, joining the ranks of the "half-backs." When she is not directing traffic from the Career Services front desk, Julie can often be found gardening, a hobby she has rediscovered since leaving the sands of Florida.

Career Services Ambassadors for 2012-2013
Career Services Ambassadors (CSAs) help students with writing resumes and interview preparation, and assist with the programs and activities presented by Career Services. CSAs also go out into the Davidson College community to talk with student groups and organizations about the resources available to students that will help them with their career preparation. 

Alexa King is a Political Science major from Springdale, Maryland. She is the Publicity Chair for the Upsilon Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a member of Virtuous Praise, Davidson's Gospel Group. When not busy working, Alexa loves doing anything related to music, including singing and listening to some of her favorite songs. As a new member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Alexa dedicates a significant amount of time towards serving the community through volunteering and raising awareness about issues affecting women today.

Brennan McCormick is a Political Science Major from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. He serves on the Honor Council, sitting in on hearings related to the Honor Code at Davidson, an integral part of the Davidson community and campus life. Brennan is also a Chidsey Leadership Fellow, a member of the Delta Kappa Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta/FIJI (former treasurer and philanthropy chair), Mock Trial (former treasurer), and Club Baseball (former president). In his "off" time, Brennan likes to read and enjoys a round of golf. He also enjoys traveling.

Morgan Orangi is an Art History Major from Lexington Kentucky. She is currently the Social Chair of Turner Eating House, formerly serving as the Treasurer. Morgan is the Event Planner and Publicity Chair of Building Tomorrow, an international nonprofit group that raises funds and awareness to provide schooling for children in Africa. She is also involved with Relay for Life, serves on the Union Board Concert Committee and is a member of CatsConnect. In her spare time Morgan likes to play golf. She also enjoys drawing and sculpting, reading and traveling.

McKenzie Roese is a Psychology and Political Science double major from Woodbury, Minnesota. She is the Treasurer of the Timmy Global Health Foundation (former Advocacy Chair), which is a nonprofit organization seeking to channel resources to sustainable health projects in developing countries. McKenzie is also a member of First Responders and the Ada Jenkins Afterschool Program. She enjoys playing sports, with basketball, volleyball and softball being her favorites. You might find McKenzie cooking in her spare time.

Paul Van Peursem is an Economics Major with an International Studies Concentration. Currently he serves as the CFO of the Pre-Business Society, the Co-Head of Operations of the Dinner at Davidson Committee, and is a member of the Union Board Films Committee. In his spare time you'll find Paul kayaking, running, cooking, enjoying a cup of French press coffee, or putting his creative writing skills to good use.

Damian White is a Sociology Major from Columbus, Ohio. He is the current President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Strategies for Success program mentor. In his spare time Damian enjoys listening to rap music "really loud," and has an obsession with going to see movies the first day they come out.