NACWAA Hosts 2016-2017 Board of Directors Meeting

Contact: Rachel DeSchepper
Contact Email: [email protected]
Contact Organization: National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators
Contact Phone: 816-389-8208

Kansas City, MO—The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) welcomed the organization’s 2016-2017 Board of Directors (BOD) to Kansas City last week, January 12 and 13, to host its annual board meeting.

The board includes five newly elected members: Julie Soriero, Director of Athletics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Lori Hendricks, Director of Athletics at Mount Holyoke College; Jennifer Strawley, Deputy Director of Athletics and SWA at University of Miami; Lindsay Reeves, Director of Athletics at University of North Georgia; and Tracy Warren, Attorney at Ogletree Deakins Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Soriero will serve as incoming NACWAA President-Elect, and Vicky Chun, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colgate University, will serve as President after completing one year as President-Elect.

Board terms officially began when candidates were announced in October 2016 at NACWAA’s National Rally in Kansas City, Missouri.

“I’m honored to be at the helm of the premier organization dedicated to developing and advancing women leaders,” Chun says. “2017 will be an exciting year for NACWAA, and I can’t wait to continue our important work with our members, partners, and friends.”

Soriero joined MIT as an Associate Professor and the Department Head and Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation in July 2007. She directs a department that supports one of the most comprehensive athletic programs in the country, featuring 33 intercollegiate teams. Prior to her appointment as Director of Athletics at MIT, Soriero served at Colorado College for nine years, four of which were as Director of Athletics. Originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, Soriero began her career in athletics after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from the Pennsylvania State University. She later earned her Master of Education degree in Sports Psychology from Temple University.

Hendricks became Mount Holyoke’s director of athletics and chair of the Department of Physical Education in July 2013. Hendricks served as the College's associate athletics director of programming since 2007. As associate director, Hendricks has overseen compliance and eligibility, coaches’ personnel reviews, and student-athlete leadership programming. Prior to her work at Mount Holyoke, Hendricks was a research associate for the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she served as the president’s liaison to the university’s NCAA certification team and as special consultant to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. From 1996 to 2001, Hendricks served as the education outreach program coordinator for the NCAA. Hendricks earned her bachelor of arts degree in politics and economics from Mount Holyoke and a master's degree in sport management from Ohio State University. She also holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan.

Strawley joined the University of Miami in June 2012, and currently serves as Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator. Prior to UM, Strawley concluded her second tour with the NCAA as the Director of Academic and Membership Affairs. In this role, Strawley was instrumental in providing leadership in the areas of academic governance and development of academic policy. She was the staff liaison to the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance and the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet. Strawley first joined the NCAA in 1998 as an enforcement services intern. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in history. During her time at Pennsylvania, she was a two-year captain for the Quakers' softball team. Strawley was inducted into the William Tennent High School Athletics Hall of Fame in January 2014.

Reeves is in her 17th year at the University of North Georgia and the 2016-17 season will mark her seventh year as the Director of Athletics for the 13-sport intercollegiate program, after investing five years as Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator. Reeves is the first female director of athletics at the University of North Georgia. She has led the development and implementation of a diversity action plan to ensure and promote diversity among the university's student-athletes, staff and community. Reeves graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science in physical education and received her master's in exercise physiology from University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. After completing her education, she worked as the director of testing at Sports Training Institute in New York before taking over as assistant director of health and fitness at General Electric World Headquarters in Connecticut. From 1990-1999, she was the director of employee wellness and faculty member at UNC Chapel Hill.

Warren is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins' San Diego and Orange County offices. Her national practice emphasizes employment counsel and litigation, including single plaintiff and class action defense, collegiate and university counsel and defense, appellate practice, and sports negotiation and litigation. Warren represents colleges, universities, associations, conference commissioners, coaches, and individuals in employment related issues, as well as NCAA bylaw infractions, drug testing, eligibility and compliance-related matters. Warren received her J.D. from University of Notre Dame; her M.J., from Temple University; and her B.A. from The College of New Jersey.

Soriero, Hendricks, Strawley, Reeves, and Warren will step in for departing board members Joan McDermott (Past President/Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations, University of San Francisco); Grace Calhoun (Director of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Pennsylvania); Amy Huchthausen (Commissioner, America East Conference); and Julie Muller (Commissioner, North Atlantic Conference).

View the complete NACWAA Board of Directors list below:

PRESIDENT
Vicky Chun /// Vice President and Director of Athletics /// Colgate University (DI)

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Julie Soriero /// Director of Athletics /// Massachusetts Institute of Technology (DIII)

PAST PRESIDENT
Lynn Hickey /// Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics /// University of Texas-San Antonio (DI)

SECRETARY
Pennie Parker /// Director of Athletics /// Rollins College (DII)

TREASURER
Heather Lyke /// Vice President and Director of Athletics /// Eastern Michigan University (DI)

MEMBERS

Lisa Campos /// Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics /// Northern Arizona University (DI)
Joni Comstock /// Senior Vice President of Championships /// NCAA (Ex-Officio, NCAA) (ORG)
Missy Conboy /// Senior Deputy Athletics Director /// University of Notre Dame (DI)
Julie Cromer Peoples /// Associate Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Senior Associate Athletics Director and SWA /// University of Arkansas (DI)
Lori Hendricks /// Director of Athletics /// Mount Holyoke College (DIII)
Jacqie McWilliams /// Commissioner /// Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (DII)
Jane Miller /// Senior Associate Athletic Director for Programs /// University of Virginia (Ex-Officio, NCAA Division I Board Appointee)
Lindsay Reeves /// Director of Athletics /// University of North Georgia (DII)
Julie Ruppert /// Commissioner /// Northeast-10 Conference (DII)
Meg Stevens /// Director of Athletics /// Averett University (DIII)
Jennifer Strawley /// Deputy Director of Athletics and SWA /// University of Miami (DI)
Tracy Warren /// Employment Law and Sports Attorney /// Ogletree Deakins Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ex-Officio, Legal Counsel) (ORG)
Miechelle Willis /// Deputy Director of Athletics /// The Ohio State University (DI)

About National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators

NACWAA is the premier leadership organization that empowers, develops, assists, celebrates, affirms, involves and honors women working in all fields of intercollegiate athletics. NACWAA takes a pro-active role in advancing women into positions of influence and powerfully shapes the landscape of women leaders. Learn more at www.nacwaa.org.

About National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators

Founded in 1979, National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA; www.nacwaa.org) is the only nationally recognized collegiate professional membership organization whose mission is to enhance and promote opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics administration. NACWAA with nearly 2,000 members promotes the growth, leadership, and success of women as athletics administrators, conference commissioners, professional staff, coaches and student-athletes. It is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to providing educational programs, professional and personal development opportunities, information exchange, and support services to enhance collegiate athletics.