19 others graduate from program that seeks to aid career advancement of athletics administrators
The NCAA selected 18 athletics administrators to take part in the Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, a program that aims to elevate participants’ leadership skills to accelerate their professional growth and enhance their ability to excel within their current roles.
The 18 selected attendees participated in a week of professional development programming July 11-17 in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Additionally, 19 athletics administrators who started in the Leadership Institute last summer took part in the programming and were recognized as part of the program’s second-year cohort.
“One of the most powerful aspects of the Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute is the community that develops among participants,” said DeeDee Merritt Guster, managing director of leadership development at the NCAA. “The relationships built during this experience create a lasting network of support, accountability and encouragement that extends far beyond the two-year program and strengthens leadership across college athletics.”
First-year program participants began with days of activities and learning focused on exploring career aspirations and enhancing essential skills. Attendees spent time exploring goals, clarifying values and looking closer at their behavioral styles, as well as those of their peers. Administrators also took part in activities designed to engage learners and refine problem-solving skills.
Additionally, those in the first year engaged with a variety of experts and gained knowledge in several areas, such as the challenges of leadership within college athletics, student-athlete welfare issues, strategic planning, budget management, fundraising, compliance, human resources and performance management.
Participants graduating from the Leadership Institute focused on in-depth personality and leadership assessments aimed at providing them with valuable insight into their strengths and areas of improvement. The graduating administrators also completed a comprehensive DISC 363 assessment combining peer and mentor feedback to provide an assessment of their leadership strengths and areas for growth.
More than 400 administrators have graduated from the Leadership Institute since it started in 2002, and more than 60% of those have gone on to hold senior leadership positions in college athletics.
Visit the Leadership Institute’s webpage to learn more, including who is eligible to apply, how and when to apply, and specific information on the programming.
Year One Roster
- Claudia Anderson, Tennessee, Division I.
- James Bullock III, NCAA.
- Sebastian Bush, The City College of New York, Division III.
- Anna Butzlaff, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Division II.
- Pankil Chander, Utica, Division III.
- Dale Codrington, Nevada, Division I.
- Stanley Frazier Jr., Cincinnati, Division I.
- Christina Hardman, Florida Tech, Division II.
- Leashia Lewis, Villanova, Division I.
- Melissa Marchini, Conference USA, Division I.
- Shaquana Miller, Anderson (South Carolina), Division II.
- Quenton Moore, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Division I.
- Christal Peterson, NCAA.
- Sailor Sinclair, University of Texas at San Antonio, Division I.
- Candace Smith, Ohio, Division I.
- Marquise Stancil, Army West Point, Division I.
- Taylor B. Stewart, Grambling, Division I.
- Chartice Wyatt-Thermil, Georgia Tech, Division I.
Year Two Roster
- Alexis Anderson, Ferrum, Division II*.
- Peaches Brown, Drexel, Division I.
- Richard Chery, Nebraska, Division I.
- Ashley Conner, Edward Waters University, Division II.
- Therno Diallo, Fordham, Division I.
- Christina Epps-Chiazor, Swarthmore, Division III.
- Brandon Floyd, Vanderbilt, Division I.
- Elizabeth Hamlet, Illinois, Division I.
- Chelsea Hooks, NCAA.
- Ashley Jocelyn, NCAA.
- Kirsten McCowan, Big South Conference, Division I.
- Patty Medina, American, Division I.
- Marcus Murrell, Clark Atlanta, Division II.
- Shon Pilcher, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Division I.
- Reava Potter, St. Mary’s (Maryland), Division III.
- Danielle Pulliam, Wisconsin, Division I.
- Courtney Randall, UC Davis, Division I.
- Joseph Walters, Hampton, Division I.
- Faithe Ways, DePaul, Division I.
*Ferrum is in the second year of the expedited Division II membership process.
