Student-Athletes, Administrators Convene For Annual CAA SAAC Leadership Summit
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (June 20, 2024) – The CAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will hold its annual Leadership Summit from June 20-22 in Richmond, Va.
The Leadership Summit will include 23 student-athletes, 10 administrators from CAA institutions and several members of the conference staff. The group of student-athletes represents 15 different sports.
Participants will share insights regarding the student-athlete experience and will have the opportunity to interact with administrators and conference staff members about a variety of issues in the ever-changing world of collegiate athletics.
The group will hear a presentation from Dylan Rheault of The Shift Group, which connects former college, pro and Olympic athletes as well as military veterans with meaningful sales employment opportunities and helps individuals to discover a new purpose and passion post-uniform. Dr. Morgan Russell-Stokes, who is the Dean for Student Equity & Inclusion at the University of Richmond, will address participants on “Inclusive Practices On and Off The Field”.
During the Summit, student-athletes will film a public service announcement on the importance of voting and voter registration. They will also take part in a community service activity.
CAA SAAC Leadership Summit Participants
Alessandra Clent, Volleyball, Campbell
Domenic DeFalco, Wrestling, Campbell
Emma Appleman, Volleyball, Charleston
Isaiah Rainge, Baseball, Charleston
Hannah Carmen, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Drexel
Zaria Ascue, Women’s Soccer, Hampton
CJ Hyacinth, Men’s Lacrosse, Hampton
Claire Galante, Women’s Golf, Hofstra
Kyndall Jackson, Women’s Lacrosse, Hofstra
Olivia Malinowski, Softball, Hofstra
Mackenzie Bloss, Softball, Monmouth
Gregory Featherstone, Football, North Carolina A&T
Laurel Rogers, Volleyball, North Carolina A&T
Aidan Duffy, Men’s Swimming & Diving, UNCW
Grace Melnick, Volleyball, UNCW
Victoria Knight, Women’s Track & Field, Northeastern
Savion Thompson, Men’s Track & Field, Northeastern
Neel Chittur, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Stony Brook
Elizabeth Field, Women’s Basketball, Stony Brook
Sydney Stewart, Volleyball, Towson
Tomiwa Sulaiman, Men’s Basketball, Towson
Cole Harris, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, William & Mary
Sofia Istnick, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, William & Mary
School Administrators
Lizzy Lesley, Charleston
Peaches Brown, Drexel
Lila Grooms, Hampton
Becky Considine, Hofstra
Quante Speigh, North Carolina A&T
Jaime Mangold, UNCW
Lisa Markland, Northeastern
Arnika Edwards, Stony Brook
Dahne Brown-Boyer, Towson
Jasmine Perkins, William & Mary
CAA Staff
Joe D’Antonio, Commissioner
Jennifer Condaras, Deputy Commissioner
John Heck, Senior Associate Commissioner for Compliance and Governance
Jamie Greer, Associate Commissioner for Digital Engagement & Social Promotion
Donna Jones, Senior Director of Compliance and Student-Athlete Services