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Fellows Program follows new Pathway at Convention

By Greg Johnson
NCAA.org

The NCAA Pathway Program, formerly known as the NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program, will welcome the 2010-11 class of participants Jan. 13-14 at the NCAA Convention in San Antonio.

The class of 2010-11 features:

• Christyn Abaray, associate athletics director at Swarthmore.
• Sherie Cornish Gordon, associate athletics director for internal operations at Norfolk State.
• Avery Esdaile, assistant athletics director at Wellesley.
• Kimberly Johnson, associate athletics director at TCU.
• Carmen Leeds, associate athletics director for internal operations at Emporia State.
• Monica Love, associate athletics director for administration at Army.
• Diane O’Brien, executive associate athletics director for internal affairs at UC Santa Barbara.
• Melody Reifel Werner, associate athletics director for compliance and special projects at Eastern Michigan.
• Harry Stinson III, associate athletics director for external operations/compliance at Kentucky State.
• Alice Tym, associate athletics director and director of advancement at Illinois-Chicago.

The program, developed in 1997, is designed to enhance the professional skills of women and people of color who seek to become athletics directors through education, training and mentorship.

Over time, the Pathway Program has been closely aligned with the NCAA governance structure to help participants learn more about how the NCAA operates. The name change, which reflects the goal of creating a “pathway” to an AD position, isn’t the only new tweak that the 2010-11 Pathway Program class will experience.

These and future Pathway participants will benefit from more presidential involvement, which will allow them the opportunity to understand a president’s priorities and expectations of an athletics director.

“The Pathway Program seeks to engage presidents and chancellors more in the mentoring process of program participants,” said the NCAA’s Bernard Franklin, executive vice president of membership and student-athlete affairs and the Association’s chief inclusion officer. “We hope this will lead to those same presidents and chancellors becoming champions and advocates for the program participants.”

Another change in the program is in the training itself, which will be completed in 12 months instead of 18 as in the past. This year’s participants are scheduled to graduate from the program in January 2012.

The program will be administered by the NCAA student-athlete affairs staff and the recently formed NCAA office of inclusion.

Training over the 12-month program includes:

• Assessing athletics departments.
• Institutional context and alliances.
• Relationships with external stakeholders.
• Budget and fiscal development.
• Professional development and mentoring.

“Through education, training and mentoring, the participants are exposed to key stakeholders in the Association for an in-depth look at governance, leadership, day-to-day operations, decision-making and strategic planning,” said NCAA Vice President of Student-Athlete Affairs Robert Vowels.

Future applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Be a racial/ethnic minority or female.
• Hold an associate level or above (with consideration given to varying organizational structures).
• Have eight years or more of intercollegiate athletics experience (preferred).
• Be recommended/endorsed by the director of athletics (or direct supervisor if current AD).
• Serve on senior leadership team.
• Have a recognized or demonstrated ability to lead through any or all of the following:
  • Current work role.
  • Educational association.
  • Successful completion of professional leadership program (for example, NACWAA/HERS, NACDA, MOAA).
• Staff supervision experience.
• Skills and experience in at least two of the following areas:
  • Sport oversight (revenue sport preferred).  
  • Development (for example, associate AD for development, associate AD for annual giving).     
  • Fiscal and/or budget management (for example, senior associate AD-chief financial officer; associate AD for business operations; associate AD for finance).
  • Coaching (previous or current).
  • Senior woman administrator designation.
  • Internal operations (for example, oversight of business, compliance, academics, facilities).
  • External operations (for example, oversight of marketing/promotions, tickets, media relations, fundraising).