INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Katie Mucci, the SCAC
Assistant Director of Communications and New Media, was one of two
hundred athletics administrators and coaches at the start of their
professional careers selected to participate in the 2015 NCAA
Emerging Leaders Seminar. This year’s program will take
place Jan. 28-30 at the NCAA national office in
Indianapolis.
The Emerging Leaders Seminar provides educational and transitional
programming for NCAA graduate assistants and interns who have shown
a profound interest in pursuing a career in college sports. After
attending, participants bring back to their schools industry
knowledge, leadership awareness and a broadened perspective of
intercollegiate athletics. Participants gain valuable insight that
helps them structure the next steps for their careers.
“The Emerging Leaders Seminar is a wonderful opportunity for
young professionals working in athletics to come to the national
office, form a network of like-minded peers and develop knowledge
of the college sports industry at all levels,” said Bernard
Franklin, NCAA executive vice president of education and community
engagement and chief inclusion officer.
Over the seven years of the program’s existence, the Emerging
Leaders Seminar has welcomed nearly 1,000 athletics professionals
to the NCAA national office for this engaging education and
networking opportunity.
During the 2015 seminar, participants will hear from industry
leaders and experts, including: Meg Stevens, director of athletics,
Averett University; Tracie Hitz, director of women’s
basketball, NCAA; Holly Sheilley, director of athletics,
Transylvania University; and Scott Weigandt, director of athletics,
Bellarmine University. The participants also have the opportunity
to explore the role of NCAA governance, including the differences
among the divisions and the role of conference offices.
Additionally, participants will split into small groups and work
together to create an operations plan that simulates the
application of group dynamics and understanding the holistic
operations of an athletics department.
Other speakers include: Julie Dunn Hammer, assistant athletics
director of career enhancement and employer relations, Northwestern
University; Brian Hicks, assistant athletics director for
marketing, Xavier University; Mark Jurich, senior associate
athletics director for development, University of Louisville; Karen
Stromme, University of Minnesota Duluth associate athletics
director for internal operations and senior woman administrator;
and Eric Wood, associate athletics director for student-athlete
services, University of Arkansas.
NCAA leadership development and members from the Association
selected the participants for the 2015 Emerging Leaders Seminar.
The group, which is located at the NCAA national office,
coordinates and facilitates cutting-edge education and customized
training for student-athletes,
coaches and athletics administrators from NCAA membership
institutions, conference offices and the national office. The
staff annually hosts more than 20 programs at little or no cost to
the membership, with expert curriculum designed to enhance the
well-being and personal development of NCAA student-athletes, and
provides ongoing education and topical training to athletics
professionals who identify and serve student-athlete needs. For
more information, visit ncaa.org/leadershipdevelopment.