The NCAA has selected its cohort for the 2022-23 Pathway Program, the yearlong initiative designed to prepare senior-level athletics administrators for the next career step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners.
The Pathway Program, under the direction of NCAA leadership development, is an intensive, experiential learning opportunity for selected participants who work at an NCAA school or conference in Divisions I, II or III. During the year, the 22 participants will be paired with and have regularly scheduled meetings with a campus or conference mentor. The program is designed to help cement their leadership purpose and enhance their skills in areas that focus on strategic planning; fundraising; message articulation; diversity, equity and inclusion; organizational leadership; hiring processes; and engagement with search firms. The 2022-23 cohort will meet June 5-9 for a weeklong education session. The program will conclude in the summer of 2023.
"The Pathway Program continues to be a signature offering that is highly impactful across the college sports landscape," said DeeDee Merritt, NCAA director of leadership development. "We are looking forward to embarking on a transformational journey with the 2022 cohort. I want to thank the Pathway selection committee for taking on the arduous task of steering an evaluation process that was filled with outstanding applicants."
The Pathway Program was created in 1997 and has produced more than 100 program alumni, with nearly 30% of the graduates moving on to become athletics directors or conference commissioners. Additionally, more than 70% of the program alumni have received some level of promotion in relation to their title or job responsibilities.
The NCAA also has a presidential pledge that ties to its commitment around diverse hiring, which links to the visibility and eventual elevation of ethnic minorities and women to executive positions. Additionally, the NCAA's eight-point plan also ties to the Association's desire to raise hiring numbers as it relates to ethnic minorities and women.
The following have been selected for the 2022-23 NCAA Pathway Program:
| Name |
Title |
Institution |
Division |
| Anthony Archbald |
Executive Associate Director of Athletics |
Princeton University |
1 |
| Nikki Ayers |
Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator |
Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
3 |
| Kyle Conder |
Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director |
Southern Methodist University |
1 |
| Ron Davis |
Associate Athletics Director of External Affairs |
Lynn University |
2 |
| Marlon Edge |
Associate Commissioner, Compliance and Governance |
Western Athletic Conference |
1 |
| Amber Feldman |
Senior Associate Commissioner |
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association |
2 |
| Sarah Fraser |
Deputy Director of Athletics |
Quinnipiac University |
1 |
| Ursula Gurney |
Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator |
University of Missouri-Kansas City |
1 |
| Katie Hine |
Associate Director of Athletics, Operations |
John Carroll University |
3 |
| Jason Imperati |
Associate Athletics Director of Compliance and Equipment Management |
Bowie State University |
2 |
| Sherika Montgomery |
Associate Commissioner/Senior Woman Administrator |
Missouri Valley Conference |
1 |
| Kelli Myers |
Chief of Staff, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sport Administration |
Georgetown University |
1 |
| Justin Newell |
Associate Director of Athletics |
Kenyon College |
3 |
| Nicholas Ojea |
Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director, Administration |
Grand Canyon University |
1 |
| Asaundra Pickett |
Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations |
DePauw University |
3 |
| Melanie Robotham |
Associate Commissioner |
Lone Star Conference |
2 |
| Thomas Samuel |
Senior Associate Commissioner/Compliance Services |
Southland Conference |
1 |
| Tiffani-Dawn Sykes |
Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Varsity Sports/Senior Woman Administrator |
Dartmouth College |
1 |
| Alisha Tucker |
Deputy Athletics Director, Compliance and Student Services |
Campbell University |
1 |
| Kellen Wells-Mangold |
Associate Athletics Director — Compliance and Student-Athlete Services |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls |
3 |
| Katie Willett |
Senior Associate Commissioner/Senior Woman Administrator, Compliance, Governance and Student-Athlete Development |
Big East Conference |
1 |
| Wendy Wilson |
Associate Director of Athletics — Compliance |
Grand Valley State University |
2 |
