Champions of Diversity and Inclusion

Introduced by the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee in 2015, the Champions of Diversity and Inclusion recognition honors individuals for their work in supporting ethnic minorities and other underrepresented populations in athletics. These individuals display a commitment to advocating and advancing others that goes beyond their profession.

Nominations for the 2024 Champions of Diversity and Inclusion closed on January 15.

Valencia Jordan (2023)

Tennessee State former senior woman administrator/senior associate athletics director

Jordan, a longtime champion of marginalized student-athletes, has fittingly earned the respect of her colleagues and key stakeholders in the Tennessee State community for her outstanding efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. Even in retirement, her efforts around DEI continue to be celebrated and recognized.

Juliana Smith (2023)

Baylor executive senior associate athletics director for mission impact and enrichment

Smith, who recently joined the Baylor athletics department, had a broad and positive impact on diversity, equity and inclusion at Colgate as a representative on the Patriot League Anti-Racism Commission, where she also served as co-chair of the Hiring and Policy Committee. In her co-chair role, Smith led the development of a leaguewide diverse hiring commitment and helped select the league's anti-racism consulting group, which conducted equity audits that resulted in meaningful policy change.

Stefanie “Stevie” Baker-Watson (2023)

DePauw associate vice for student wellness and Theordore Katula Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports

Baker-Watson has been a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion for underrepresented groups, as witnessed through her hiring practices at DePauw, her mentoring of individuals and her recommendations that have advanced young professionals of color to numerous areas within college athletics. She also has shown a commitment to improving athletics' academic and cultural climates and has empowered student-athletes and staff to be productive professional citizens.

Charvi Greer (2023)

Tulane deputy athletics director, student services/senior woman administrator

Greer is the liaison to the Title IX office, where she supports the management of gender equity planning. Her accomplishments at Tulane also include assisting in the creation of Green Wave Justice for All and with the athletics department's action and accountability plan for social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion. She has also assumed leadership roles within the department's diversity council and took the lead in developing its five-year DEI strategic plan. She has coordinated DEI workshops and has led coach and staff hiring searches that have led to diverse candidate appointments.

Ashley Stone (2023)

Oakland associate athletics director for student-athlete experience/senior woman administrator

Understanding that each team plays an important role in supporting DEI and that having a more diverse, inclusive and equitable culture enhances the athletics experience for student-athletes, Stone implemented athletic team workshops to generate more dialogue around topics such as civic engagement, voting, checking your privilege, disability awareness, Women's History Month and Black History Month. In working with the teams, she allows them to select workshops according to their DEI interests and learning objectives.

Stephon Fuqua (2022)

Illinois associate director of athletics and academic services

Fuqua serves as a diversity and inclusion leader on Illinois' campus and nationally. He was awarded the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals' 2021 N4A Professional Excellence Award. Fuqua led the N4A ECC's Institutional Partnership Program, which provided educational forums to professionals across the country.

Rob Knox (2022)

Thurgood Marshall College Fund senior director of strategic communications

Knox previously was the associate athletic director for strategic communications at UNC Greensboro before joining the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in May. A graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute, he previously served as the College Sports Information Directors of America president during 2018-19 and worked to pass a resolution that guaranteed two members of the organization attend the NCAA Inclusion Forum.

Dena Freeman-Patton (2022)

Cal State Dominguez Hills associate vice president and athletics director

Freeman-Patton served on the MOIC for four years, including one year as vice chair and one as chair of the committee. She was instrumental in creating legislation for the addition of an athletics diversity and inclusion designee to support the Presidential Pledge and Commitment to Promoting Diversity and Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics. Freeman-Patton has also been a member of the board of directors for the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. As associate vice president and director of athletics at Cal State Dominguez Hills, she continues to advocate for these causes behind the scenes and supports the hiring of more ethnic minority senior administrators and head coaches.

Dan Rose (2022)

Coast Guard athletics director and director of physical education

Rose, who started as a coach at Coast Guard 25 years ago before becoming an administrator, has pushed for continued improvement of diversity and inclusion in athletics through a collection of efforts. He has balanced full-time coaching opportunities for men's and women's sports and diversified hiring initiatives, resulting in five of six new hires over the past two years being members of underrepresented groups.

Dennis Shields (2022)

Wisconsin-Platteville chancellor

As a member of the Division III Presidents Council for several years, Shields infused a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through those efforts and his involvement on NCAA committees. Shields' work includes support in the creation of The Diverse Workforce: Recruitment and Retention Basics for Division III Athletics Departments resource guide and his efforts to continually ensure diverse representation within committee work.