Meet the Cabinet

Sara Baughman

Sara Baughman is Montreat College’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications, a position that she has held since December 2020. Sara previously served as the College’s Executive Director for Marketing and Communications from 2017-2020 directing communication, advertising, marketing and media relations needs across all campus departments. Sara earned her B.A. in Communications, Public Relations and Journalism from Dordt University in 2007. Prior to serving at Montreat, Sara worked as the Communications Coordinator for the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

John Beaghan

John Beaghan is Montreat College’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, serving as the college’s Chief Financial Officer beginning in April 2022. He is an accomplished CFO with nearly four decades of experience in higher education. Prior to arriving at Montreat, John served 16 years at Oakland University as the Vice President for Finance and Administration, where he managed all aspects of the accounting and financial reporting functions, facilities, public safety, and human resources. He earned his B.A. in Business Administration from The University of Michigan, Dearborn, graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Master of Business Administration, and is a Certified Management Accountant.

Daniel Bennett, Ph.D.

Daniel Bennett is Montreat College’s vice president for student services and dean of students, a position he has held since 2014. From 2006 to 2014, Dr. Bennett guided many student life teams and co-curricular programming initiatives at Montreat College, including student activities, residence life, chapel and convocation, student services, student conduct, and student government. Prior to arriving at Montreat, he served for three years in career services at Wheaton College, where he focused on developing synergetic partnerships along with transition programming for seniors and young alumni. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at Biola University, master’s degrees in educational ministries and theology from Wheaton College, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson University.

Mark Hijleh, D.M.A.

Dr. Mark Hijleh is Montreat’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. In this role, Dr. Hijleh acts as the chief academic officer for the College, overseeing the execution of academic policy and curriculum, program development, accreditation matters, and faculty hiring and development. Prior to coming to Montreat College, Dr. Hijleh served as Provost at The King’s College in New York City. His depth of experience also includes serving at The King’s College as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty and on the President’s Cabinet and President’s Council. Under Dr. Hijleh’s direction, The King’s College’s retention rate rose from 62 percent to 79 percent, and up to 90 percent of students are able to complete at least one internship during their time. Furthermore, online summer revenue doubled during his time at the college. Dr. Hijleh previously served for 21 years at Houghton College where he first served as chair for the Integrative Studies Collegium, which became the campus-wide unit overseeing all of general education, from 2009-2011. Later, he served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and was able to develop a new Lilly grant-funded faculty peer mentoring program, as well as initiate a new career exploration and support program for students. Dr. Hijleh holds degrees from the University of Sheffield in the UK, Johns Hopkins University, Ithaca College, and William Jewell College. Dr. Hijleh and his wife Kelley have two children.

Andy Keith

Andy Keith is Montreat College’s Vice President for Adult and Graduate Studies (AGS). A strategic online higher education enrollment leader, Andy has more than 15 years of higher education experience in recruiting and retention of online students, marketing, strategic operations and analysis, and budget management. Before coming to Montreat College in 2023, he served as Associate Vice President of Adult and Graduate Studies at Houston Christian University. During his six-year tenure there, Houston Christian’s online enrollment grew from zero to nearly 2,000 students. Keith received his Master of Business Administration from Liberty University and holds two bachelor’s degrees from Trinity Baptist College.

Jose Larios

Jose Larios is Montreat College’s Vice President for Enrollment Management, a position he has held since 2020. His career includes more than 22 years of coaching, recruiting, and administrative experience at three different CCCU institutions. He served as both a head cross country and track and field coach (2007-2010) and athletics director (2014-2020) at Montreat College. Under his leadership, the athletics department achieved remarkable improvements in academic and athletic success, recruiting and retention, as well as the most student-athlete participation in the history of the college. He also led the construction of the Athletic Complex and Pulliam Stadium, the renovation of the McAlister Fitness Center, and the Newell Baseball Field turf project. He was named Appalachian Athletic Conference Athletics Director of the Year for 2018-19. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education from Warner University. He serves the Black Mountain and Montreat communities alongside his wife, Heather, and their four children: Hanna, Emma, Sara, and Gabriel.

Garrett Luck

Garrett Luck is Montreat College’s Vice President for Advancement, a position he has held since September 2022. In this role, Luck oversees all facets of the advancement and alumni relations department including donor cultivation, stewardship, The Keystone Scholarship Fund, and alumni and parent engagement. Luck received his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago Illinois, and holds two master’s degrees in systematic theology as well as church history from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield Illinois. Under Luck’s position as Associate Vice President of Advancement and University Relations at Trinity International University, his leadership helped to generate two consecutive years of record gift income, record alumni participation, and a two fold increase in alumni giving. In addition to faculty support roles at Moody Bible Institute, Luck spent five years serving as a youth and family pastor at the First Evangelical Haitian Baptist Church of Evanston. Luck and his wife, Stephanie, have one son, Watson. They enjoy traveling often and have visited more than 50 countries and counting.