Mucci Selected to Attend NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar

Mucci Selected to Attend NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar

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.