Home > Meet the Staff
Meet the Staff
Mark Carter returned home to Middle Tennessee area in March 2010 when he joined Vanderbilt University as development director for the National Commodore Club.
Carter had been in athletics development at Duke University prior to joining Vanderbilt, most recently as director of major gifts. He saw the Duke Blue Devils win five national championships during his six-year career there. Carter was a key player on the athletics development team, helping set new athletic fundraising records each year. His fundraising roles supported capital projects, unrestricted Iron Dukes annual fund gifts, restricted gifts to sport programs, endowment gifts and other athletic department initiatives.
In July 2011, Carter was named associate director of student athletics and executive director of the National Commodore Club, overseeing all fundraising efforts for Vanderbilt athletics. During his first year at Vanderbilt, Carter helped spearhead efforts that led to the best fundraising year for the NCC since 1998 and worked on the McGugin Center renovation campaign.
Carter, a former college baseball player, has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis and a master’s in sports management from the University of Tennessee. He is from Fayetteville, Tenn., and is married to the former Emily Zweig of Germantown, Tenn., a cardiac electrophysiology nurse. They have one child, Nash Kingston Carter.
Bart Smith, Director of the National Commodore Club and Vanderbilt Athletics Development (615) 322-4114
Bart Smith joined the National Commodore Club staff in August 2010 as associate director of development after a decade directing marketing and promotions at Duke and Baylor universities. While at Duke, Smith and his staff coordinated and implemented the marketing and promotional efforts of Duke’s 26 athletic programs. In his time there, while the Duke Blue Devils won five national championships, attendance goals increased for several sports and football season-ticket sales doubled over three years.
As director of the National Commodore Club, Smith oversees annual giving and works with donors. He played a key role in implementing the “Commodores on Board” membership drive for the NCC, helping lead to its best year in total dollars raised, most new members and largest membership since 1998. Smith, originally from Bryan, Texas, earned a bachelor’s in business and a master’s in sports management from Baylor. He is married to the former Katherine Hande of Nashville, the director of admissions and student services for the Vanderbilt Divinity School. They have one daughter, Eleanor Chloe Smith.
Sterling Frierson, Assistant Director of the National Commodore Club and Vanderbilt Athletics Development (615) 322-4114
Sterling began working with the National Commodore Club as Program Coordinator in December 2009 after spending four years in academic support at Vanderbilt. In that role, he managed the NCC's overall communication efforts, executed the annual fund solicitation calendar and coordinated stewardship programming and special events. Sterling was promoted to Assistant Director in July 2011 and raises funding for scholarships, facilities and operations for Vanderbilt Athletics.
Sterling has earned a Bachelor's degree from Furman University, and graduate degrees in sports management and education administration from the United States Sports Academy and Tennessee State University. Sterling and his wife, Johnna, met at Furman and enjoy good food, spending time with friends and watching movies.
Robin Langlois, Member Services Coordinator (615) 343-7145
Robin has been with the National Commodore Club and Vanderbilt Athletics since 1998. She oversees parking and tickets for NCC members along with coordinating Football Suites, Basketball Suites and NCC events. A Nashville native, she attended Middle Tennessee State University. She and her husband Mark have two sons, Jeremy a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and Wes, a graduate of Belmont's Music Business program. Jeremy and his wife Lora have two little girls, Elizabeth and Catherine.
John Patterson, Donor Operations Coordinator (615) 343-0696
John joined the National Commodore Club staff in October 2011 as donor operations coordinator after working in athletics for Western Kentucky University where he continually exceeded ticket sales goals. John, a former football student athlete, earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from the University of Memphis and a master's degree in business administration from Marshall University where he was a ticket office graduate assistant. He is originally from Columbia, Tennessee, and enjoys exploring the city of Nashville with his wife Jenny.
Michelle Parks, Administrative Assistant (615) 322-4114
Michelle came to the Commodore Club in December of ʽ08. Previously she worked as the Administrative Assistant to the production staff at Steelroots in Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her husband Greg are sport enthusiasts who enjoy attending events in and around the Nashville area, including Vanderbilt athletics.
Kendal Duncan, Development Assistant (615) 343-4067
Kendal came to Nashville in October 2010 after gaining valuable experience in the football recruiting office at the University of Tennessee. She is a native of Knoxville and earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Sport Management from Tennessee. Kendal enjoys going to sporting events and traveling.
