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STAFF SPOTLIGHT JON PALUMBO Deputy Director of Athletics Dr. Hawkins is proud to be an Official Dentist of VCU Athletics! Jon Palumbo joined the VCU in the Fall of 2012 following stops at William & Mary, American and Maryland during an 11-year career in college athletics. A native of Bowie, Md., Palumbo played baseball at La Salle, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2001. He received his MBA from the university in 2003. FREEDOM TO SMILE RR: What drew you to a career in college athletics? JP: I was a walk-on baseball player at La Salle, and through that I got to know some people in the athletic department���and when I graduated they offered me a grad assistant position in the business office. I was a mass communications major���so I weighed that versus having my graduate degree paid for by La Salle. So I worked full-time and did my MBA at night and got two years experience working in college athletics with the business manager there. It was a small department, so you got your hands in a lot of things and learned a lot about the business. When I finished grad school my other option was to go the corporate route���and I just decided that wasn���t really what I would enjoy. So I took a job at William & Mary as the business manager. College sports was something I was passionate about, and the business side of it was interesting to me. RR: How did college athletics lure you away from a possible career in the corporate world? JP: I���ve loved sports and competition since I was a kid. I grew up with three younger brothers and we would make a competition out of anything. We���d constantly be inventing games. And just the college atmosphere, the students. I enjoyed being a student-athlete. I enjoyed the opportunities that opened up for me, and to be a part of an organization that helps develop young people and opens up opportunities for them was something that was appealing to me. RR: Is there a unique perspective a college athlete can offer that others may not? JP: My experience as a studentathlete always shapes my decision-making in the roles that I���ve had and the role that I have now. I always try to remember what it was like and how my experience was. I think the goal of any administrator in college athletics is to create the best possible student-athlete experience that you can for the men and women that are here. We���re here because of them. We have jobs because of them. Our fans have games to come to because of them. I try to keep that at the forefront when making the decisions that I���m involved in on a daily basis. was a great vibe on this campus and a lot of energy. There are a lot of really great people I met when I came down to talk about the job. I really think the sky is the limit for this university and this department. I think in some ways we���ve only scratched the surface of what we���re capable of and what the opportunities are. RR: Did having a brother in the department (VCU Assistant Baseball Coach Jeff Palumbo) make the decision any easier? JP: Absolutely, that was a bonus. The fact that my brother has been here and told me a lot of those things about VCU, he really likes it here and they have a particularly great opportunity to build on the success that their program has had. He just told me a lot about the school and the campus and the great things that are here. That only added to my interest. RR: Why VCU? RR: You worked with VCU Athletics Director Ed McLaughlin for a brief time when you were both at American. What impressed you about him back then? JP: There���s a lot of great momentum here, a lot of great things going on both in the athletic department and on campus. Over the last few years, the publicity from the Final Four run has been huge. But when I came down to talk with Ed about the job, there���s JP: He was someone who I knew was going to be successful in the business and who I knew that I would enjoy working for because of the things he believes in and the passion and energy that he brings to the job every day. It���s fun to work for someone like that. RR: What on-field moment are you most proud of from your days as a college athlete? JP: My sophomore year we were playing a series at George Washington that was crucial to our playoff hopes. I had game-winning hits in the last two games of the series and we ended up sweeping the series and eventually making it to the A-10 Championship game that year. We provide an unmatched lifetime guarantee available to anyone, and unique in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Visit HawkinsDentist.com for more information. FANTASTIC RESULTS FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY We are an in-network provider with most insurance plans. If you do not currently have dental insurance, we provide several other payment options, often available with no fees, interest, or downpayment. ���People tell me I look 20 years younger. More than one person has said, ���You are handsome!��� They never said that before, so it must be the teeth!��� James H. Dr. Alex Hawkins is a Richmond native and a 2004 VCU School of Dentistry alumnus. LIGHTNING ROUND Favorite Baseball Team: Baltimore Orioles Favorite Vacation Spot: The Outer Banks Favorite Place to Eat in Richmond: Amici or Water Grill (So far. I���ve only been here three months) Favorite Sports Movie: Major League Guilty Pleasure: Ben & Jerry���s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream If you could attend any sporting event: World Series Game 7 1310 Alverser Plaza Midlothian, VA 23113 (804) 897-9800 HawkinsDentist.com (804) 897-9800 New Patient Appointments Only (804) 897-9800 New Patient Appointments Only