The NCAA national office staff recently celebrated Earth Week and Arbor Day by planting a tree on the office grounds. A group of 22 NCAA national office staff members charged with encouraging healthy environmental habits hopes that like the newly planted tree, the national office’s increasing attention to green initiatives over the past six months will also take root and grow.

The Green Team is tasked with guiding the national office staff in supporting the environment, conserving national resources and developing sustainability efforts.  The team also is committed to increasing awareness of environmental issues locally, regionally and nationally.

To date, the team has launched recycling and sustainability efforts within the national office and other facilities, and plans are in the works to develop ways to incorporate sustainability initiatives into championships and other NCAA events.

The team also has turned to the membership for ideas and expertise through the creation of an advisory group composed of institution and conference administrators, and members of each division’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Advisory group members were nominated by their conferences and then selected with an eye toward balancing division, geography and interests.  

NCAA Senior Vice President of Championships and Green Team member Joni Comstock said the team wants the advisory group to help generate ideas that can be implemented within the national office and to develop ways to raise awareness of environmental issues throughout the membership.

“We hope to add sustainability to our work and life with the national office in a planned and worthwhile manner to encourage action and awareness that will grow and be supported,” said Comstock. “We also want this to be a source of satisfaction and pride that we work for an Association that supports the environment and a source of fun and teamwork for the staff.”

Green Team advisory board members

Gloria Nevarez, senior associate athletics director/administration, University of Oklahoma

Carolayne Henry, associate commissioner, Mountain West Conference

Jeff Orleans, executive director, Council of Ivy Group Presidents, Ivy Group

David Brunk, commissioner, Peach Belt Conference

Amanda Brickell, assistant commissioner, Great Lakes Valley Conference

Ben Brownlee, administrative assistant, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletics Conference

Debi Field McGrath, director of athletics, Colby-Sawyer College

David Diles, director of athletics, Case Western Reserve University

Ryan Brown, Illinois State University, Division I SAAC

Aidah Rasheed, Morgan State University, Division I SAAC

Faith Greenawalt, Tiffin University, Division II SAAC

Christopher Odom, Angelo State University, Division II SAAC

Christine Lewis, Vassar College, Division III SAAC

Nathan Studgeon, Keuka College, Division III SAAC

(A third representative from Division III and from the West Coast also will be added to the group)