Meet Our Staff

Keith P. Antonia

Director of Cadet Admissions

Keith began working for North Georgia after retiring from 20 years of service in the US Army as an infantry officer. Keith retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. His Army assignments included nearly 19 years in various Airborne and Ranger units. His last assignment in the Army was the commander of the Mountain Phase of the US Army Ranger School in Dahlonega, Georgia. He was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2009, here is the induction video. He also serves as the Honorary Colonel of the Ranger Training Brigade.

He is a 1981 graduate of the Army ROTC program at the University of Connecticut, and has a Masters Degree from the Naval War College. His job is to recruit young men and women who are scholar/athlete/leaders into the Corps of Cadets - The Boar's Head Brigade. If you want to know more about Keith's experiences, click on his photo. 

You may contact him with questions regarding Leadership Scholarships, academic programs, the Corps of Cadets, and/or the Georgia Military Scholarship at 706-867-2712 or by emailing Keith.Antonia@ung.edu.

Chris Rodriguez-Smith

Associate Director of Cadet Admissions

Chris is a second-generation graduate of North Georgia College & State University. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. As a daughter of a retired Army officer, she has had the pleasure of traveling and living in many different parts of the world. She is married to Brian Smith, also a graduate of North Georgia College & State University.
Please feel free to contact her with questions regarding Cadet Admissions requirements or academic programs. She can be reached at 706-867-2924 or by emailing Chris.Rodriguez-Smith@ung.edu

Johnathan Luke Whitmire

Associate Director of Cadet Admissions

John Luke is an Infantry Officer and Second Lieutenant in the Georgia Army National Guard and is a 2011 graduate from North Georgia College & State University. As a Georgia Military Scholarship recipient, he had a great experience in the Corps of Cadets and served in multiple leadership positions, both in the Corps and on campus. He works with Cadet Admissions as the Associate Director for Operations and Finance and is responsible for the day to day operations in the office. John Luke currently serves as a Platoon Leader in the Georgia Army National Guard and is also a graduate of the U.S. Army's Ranger School, Airborne School, and Infantry Officer Basic Leadership Course. You may contact him with any questions you have regarding the Corps of Cadets, the Georgia Army National Guard, National Leadership Challenge, the Cadet Overnight Visitation Experience, scheduling a visit, or any general information questions about being a Cadet at North Georgia. He can be reached at (706) 867-2804 or by emailing Johnathan.Whitmire@ung.edu

MAJ Greg Killeen

Recruiting Operations Officer

 MAJ Greg Killeen was assigned to North Georgia in 2007 and has served as an instructor, Director of Instruction, Administrative Officer, Executive Officer, and now the Recruiting Operations Officer for the Military Science Department.  He retired from the Army in 2010 and was immediately recalled to active duty to continue to serve at the university.

He graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1989 with a BS in Mass Media.  He enlisted in the Army as an Arabic Linguist and attended the Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, GA in 1997 where he commissioned into Air Defense.  He spent three years in Germany then transferred into Military Intelligence in 2000.  After commanding a company at Ft. Gordon, he spent a year as an imbedded trainer with an Iraqi mechanized infantry battalion in Baghdad, Iraq.  His choice follow-on assignment was to (then) North Georgia College & State University.

Working for the Professor of Military Science, his job is to assist Cadet Admissions in their effort to recruit young men and women who are scholar/athlete/leaders into the Corps of Cadets and manage the ROTC Scholarship program for the University. 

You may contact him with questions regarding ROTC Scholarships, STEM Scholarships, ROTC Language Scholarships, GRFD Scholarships, academic programs, and the Corps of Cadets at 706-864-1884 or by emailing greg.killeen@ung.edu.

Mark Cromer

Assistant Recruiting Operations Officer

Mark began working for the University of North Georgia after retiring as a First Sergeant from 28 years of service in the US Army as an infantryman and a Recruiting and Retention NCO. He served 12 years on jump status with the 82nd Airborne Division and the Georgia Army National Guard Long Range Surveillance Unit. He then served as a Production Recruiter, team NCOIC, and First Sergeant for the Georgia Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion. In 2009, Mark was recognized as the National Officer Strength Maintenance Team of the Year NCOIC.

Mark retired in the Dahlonega area with his wife, Kim, and their three sons. Mark was stationed at North Georgia twice during his career in Cadet Recruiting. His current job is to recruit highly qualified young men and women, who are scholar/athlete/leaders, into the Corps of Cadets for purposes of obtaining a commission into the US Army.

You may contact him with questions regarding the Army ROTC Scholarship, the Corps of Cadets, and/or the Georgia Military Scholarship at 706-864-1599 or by emailing Mark.Cromer@ung.edu

Nathan P. Turk

Nathan is on military leave of absence until the fall of 2014, please contact John Luke Whitmire

Nathan is an Infantry Officer and First Lieutenant in the Georgia Army National Guard and is a 2010 Distinguished Military Graduate from North Georgia College & State University. As a Georgia Military Scholarship recipient, he had a great experience in the Corps of Cadets and served in multiple leadership positions, both in the Corps and on campus. He works with Cadet Admissions as the Associate Director for Operations and Finance and is responsible for the day to day operations in the office.

Nathan currently serves as a Scout Platoon Leader in the Georgia Army National Guard and is also a graduate of the U.S. Army's Ranger School, Airborne School, and Air Assault School.