Jena Jones, who joined The Webb School in 2014 as assistant director of athletics and currently is Office of Student Affairs director of student activities and varsity boys’ and girls’ tennis head coach, has been named the school’s athletic director.
She succeeds Scott Dorsett, who recently announced his retirement as athletic director. Dorsett, who joined Webb 15 years ago and has been the athletic director for the last 13 years, will remain at Webb part-time and work with Head of School Ken Cheeseman, Director of Development Leigh Adams and the Alumni and Development Office.
“I am excited and honored that Jena Jones will be the new athletic director,” said Cheeseman. “The search committee was thoroughly impressed with her knowledge of best practices of athletic administration and the particular opportunities and challenges that face the school’s Athletic Department, and the solutions she posed to the challenges we face.”
Dorsett said, “Hiring Jena nine years ago, I knew we had an outstanding young lady who would someday become a leader of the Webb Athletic Department,” said Dorsett. “Jena jumped in, soaked up everything athletics, and immersed herself into the Webb culture. She, with the help of a great group of athletic department staff and coaches, will be able to take Webb athletics to the next level. Jena has been more than a colleague but more like a daughter in her growth here at Webb. I wish her the best in this new venture.”
As an athlete, Jones played number one singles all four years of high school; her father, one of the great influences on her life, was her tennis coach and the school’s athletic director for 28 years. She chose Otterbein College to continue her athletic and academic career, played both singles and doubles and led the team as captain her senior year. She earned an undergraduate degree in broadcasting and public relations. Jones earned her master’s degree in professional studies with a concentration in Strategic Leadership at Middle Tennessee State University.
She worked for The Columbus Destroyers (a member of the AFL - Arena Football League), Ohio State University, and the Nashville Predators in public relations and communications. She also served in the Middle Tennessee State University Athletic Department, where she managed all aspects of athletic events on campus and planned, developed, and implemented community events to promote MTSU athletics. During her Webb career, she also served as the league administrator for the Middle Tennessee Athletic Conference for six years. She left the athletic department to become the assistant director of college counseling with a particular emphasis of helping Webb student-athletes who wanted to play in college navigate the recruiting process. She began working in the Office of Student Affairs in the summer of 2022 with Associate Head of School Dr. Tabetha Sullens ’94 and Dean of Students and Residential Life Jon Bloom to develop student activities and leadership opportunities.
In addition to these experiences, Jones is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, having earned both accreditation and certification with this organization as an interscholastic coach. She also holds NFHS levels 1, 2, and 3 certifications and is a member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and has earned both her certification of Athletic Administration and Master Athletic Administration.
Jones said she is humbled and honored to accept this position. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude and enthusiasm for being selected to help guide the team of outstanding coaches and student-athletes at The Webb School. Scott Dorsett has done a wonderful job developing and moving athletics to the next level over his time here, and while the position carries a legacy and high expectations, I am eager to uphold and build upon this. She added, “As someone who has grown up in and around athletics my entire life, I am ready to use my talents, knowledge, and commitment to the Webb mission to push the department, coaches, and student-athletes to even higher levels.”
Dorsett, in announcing his retirement noted he is “immensely proud of what our student athletes and coaches have accomplished during my tenure. I have been incredibly blessed by the relationships that I have made in and through Webb. Together, the coaches, teachers, leadership team, and I have been able to know and invest in so many incredible young men and women. We have watched them blossom into men and women of integrity and character.” He noted, "Mostly, I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to lead an important Webb program and its people to flourish, individually and as a corporate body. The athletic department is enjoying its most successful year in our 153-year-history, and deservedly gaining the reputation as one of the very best athletic programs in our independent-school division. None of this could have occurred without the vision, passion, sacrifice, and support of so many student-athletes, coaches, teachers, staff, leadership team members, parents, and others, so I say thank you!”
Dorsett added, “I will work closely with Mr. Cheeseman and our advancement teams to solicit funding for the Board of Trustees strategic initiatives and recruit the best and brightest on-mission student leaders to pursue excellence in academics, arts, and athletics, with character above all else. My new role will be part time and allow me to be more present as a husband, father, and grandpa while partnering with our advancement team to support the programs I was so blessed to shepherd during these last fifteen years. I am excited for this next and last chapter in my professional life. I am profoundly grateful to continue to be a part of this great school community.”