Staff
The IMPACT 360 team works, prays and laughs together in our mission to provide students with a loving, educational, adventurous community. Each of us is dedicated to the Lord’s service and desires a generation of young people who long to change the world through the love of Christ. So, whether you pop by one of our offices to chat, or join us for lunch in the dining room, our doors are always open.
John Basie
Director
B.A. Christian Education & Psychology, Erskine College
M.A. Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
Ph.D. Church-State Studies, Baylor University
Known affectionately as “Basie” around campus, John came to IMPACT 360 to live out his passion of equipping students to become leaders and identify their godly calling in the world marketplace.
Before taking to the classroom here at IMPACT 360, John was a teacher, administrator, and researcher in various Christian higher education environments, including Erskine College, Erskine Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Columbia International University, and the Witherspoon Fellowship at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. He is also a graduate of the Focus Leadership Institute.
Among his many interests is the desire to teach world Christians to think in terms of God's sovereignty in all spheres of knowledge and inquiry. John resides in LaGrange, Georgia, with his wife, Marana, and their three children, Patrick, Rebekah Ruth, and Rachel.
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Eric Turner
Associate Director for Operations
B.S. Communications, Kennesaw State University
M.B.A. In Progress, Mercer University
Eric has devoted his entire career working with missions organizations. Before joining the IMPACT 360 team, he spent five years with the North American Mission Board, and nine years with the International Mission Board.
He often found himself putting his communication degree to good use, on the road as a field producer, or traveling to remote locations around the world to tell the stories of mission personnel serving abroad.
For Eric, IMPACT 360 is an exciting way to help students live out their call and find the life-path Christ desires for them.
Eric lives with his wife, Amy, and their two children, Luke and Katie, in Newnan, Georgia.
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Ed Bort
Academic Program Manager
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B.S. Kinesiology, California State University
M.A. Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
Ed earned his master’s degree in philosophy and ethics at the Talbot School of Theology in 2007, before serving with Campus Crusade for Christ at California Polytechnic State University and working in recruiting at Hope University.
A referral from Dr. JP Moreland first landed him at IMPACT 360 in the spring of 2010, where he taught our students on the problem of evil and suffering. By the summer of 2011, God had brought him to us full-time from a high school teaching career in Simi Valley, California.
Ed was “ecstatic” about the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing through IMPACT 360. He and his wife, Dana, made the move to Georgia in mid-2011, with their children, Elijah, Elise and baby on the way.
Katy Thompson
Enrollment Manager
B.S. Communications Process, Mississippi College
M.S.C. Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Mississippi College
Katy is likely the first face you’ll recognize and voice you’ll hear on your journey to IMPACT 360. She enjoys playing an active role in the lives of our students, interacting with them on a daily basis, both on campus and at special events.
A desire to work among the college-age set brought Katy to us from Mississippi College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s in public relations. After graduation, she became a valuable member of the MC team as Program Coordinator for the Continuing Education department and Director of Special Events for the Public Relations and Alumni Office.
Katy is often seen behind the wheel of the IMPACT 360 van on recruiting trips, or chatting on the phone with prospective students and alumni. And she definitely wants to be your Facebook friend.
Katy enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading a good book, and taking road trips to new places. She lives in Columbus, Georgia, and goes home to Clinton, Mississippi, to visit family and friends.
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Trent Wilbanks
Associate Director of Student Learning and Living
B.A. Music, Mississippi College
M.A. In Progress, Fuller Theological Seminary
Trent joined the IMPACT 360 team in 2008, after serving five years as director at the Lifeshape Foundation’s retreat center, The Summit. While there, he led outdoor adventure excursions at WinShape Camp for Girls – a great prep for his future of “Living and Learning” at IMPACT 360.
Before taking on the world of student residential programs, Trent was associate to the music and student ministers at Country Woods Baptist Church in Byram, Mississippi.
He has a true heart for students and enjoys “building meaningful relationships with the IMPACT 360 students, and being an encouragement to them in this critical season they have set apart to sharpen their hearts and minds.”
Trent graduated from Mississippi College with a degree in music, and might sing for you if you ask really nicely. He and his wife, Joy, live in Pine Mountain, Georgia, with their four children, Ashlynn, Anna Kathryn, Caleb, and Daniel.
David Blanchard
Student Learning and Living Coordinator
B.S. Bible and Youth Ministry, Columbia International University
David is a graduate of Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina, where he studied youth ministry, Bible, and outdoor leadership. He believes God used specific experiences to prepare him for his role at IMPACT 360, including residence life and student government leadership positions in college, as well as overseas missions experience.
“My heart is for people and the Lord has gifted me in relationships, but I’ve also learned from some really sharp people how to ask good questions and not to fix problems, but help people come to an understanding of things. I realize now the incredible impact of walking alongside someone and mentoring them.”
In addition to a love of the outdoors and activities like hiking and camping, David also enjoys photography, traveling, music, reading, disc golf, and the arts. He is from Raleigh, North Carolina, where his family still lives.
Mary Michael Joiner
Student Learning and Living Coordinator
B.S.N. Samford University
Mary Michael worked as a camp counselor at WinShape Camp for Girls for three years and heard about IMPACT 360 after graduating from Samford University with a degree in nursing. Though it was not the job she expected as a medical student, Mary Michael believes God has been shaping her for her role at IMPACT 360 for a very long time.
“Everything else I’m passionate about [besides nursing] — working with students, mentoring, discipleship, global missions — is encompassed in this job. God was establishing my steps all along.”
Mary Michael has a passion for international missions and used her jewelry design skills to design and sell jewelry that helped fund one of her summer mission trips. She also has the coolest room in the residence hall and enjoys decorating, hiking, camping, and rafting. Mary Michael goes home to Fairburn, Georgia, when not on campus at IMPACT 360.
Lyndsay Currier
Office Administrator
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B.S. Business Administration, Roberts Wesleyan College
Lyndsay joined the staff of IMPACT 360 in 2009, after graduating from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York.
During college, she worked in a variety of roles, including event planner intern, student blogger, administrative assistant, and peer specialist at a center for at-risk youth. Her ability to relate to students and provide an example of spiritual maturity, as well as her organizational skills and large worldview, serve her well in as office administrator.
Lyndsay is a native of Oswego, New York. She is passionate about helping people who are affected by poverty and pursuing a deep level of knowledge through reading. When she is not at work, Lyndsay enjoys being active and running, traveling, and spending time with her friends.
Caleb Hand
Apprentice
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B.S. Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Auburn University
Caleb comes to IMPACT 360 fresh off his graduation from Auburn University. Being with us affords him the opportunity to explore different facets of ministy, while using the gifts and training God gave him to support the flow of daily life here on campus and behind the scenes.
He's enjoying being able to serve, while getting to know our students and encouraging them in their spiritual growth.
Caleb, a native of Hoover, Alabama, recently married his sweetheart, Haley. They have fun cooking, watching movies, and love traveling to new places.
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Pam Dodge
Intern for Student Learning and Living
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B.A., Philosophy, Politics and Economics, The King’s College
Pam joins IMPACT 360 after graduating from college in New York City.
During her time in undergrad, Pam was involved in everything from student government and public relations, to youth ministry and teaching English overseas. She comes to us with a heart for leadership and a desire to help our students foster lasting relationships within this community and beyond.
Pam is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, but now calls Columbus, Georgia home.
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“What am I applying that I learned at IMPACT 360? Short answer – everything! I have had countless discussions with people on my campus (GA Tech), where we enter into a conversation based off of one subject, but by the time we’re done an hour and a half later, we’ve...”
A Unique Program
Dr. William Lane Craig shares about the unique program IMPACT 360 offers its students.