CANDICE S. LEE

Sandy Barbour Nike Division I FBS Executive of the Year
Vice Chancellor & Athletic Director, Vanderbilt University

When she was introduced May 21, 2020, as Vanderbilt University’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, Candice S. Lee became the school’s first female athletic director and the first Black woman to head an SEC athletics program.  

During her tenure as athletic director, Candice has successfully led the most ambitious fundraising project in the history of Vanderbilt athletics – the Vandy United campaign – that has raised more than $300 million to dramatically upgrade programming and facilities for every Commodore program and student-athlete. She has also added a new varsity sport (women’s volleyball, debuting in 2025) and made head coaching hires in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s tennis, track and field/cross country, and women’s volleyball.   

A team captain, four-year letter winner, and five-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection as a member of the Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team, Candice earned undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development.  

Candice began her athletics administration career at Vanderbilt in 2002, serving first as an academic adviser and then compliance director. Working under the late athletic director David Williams, Lee was named the department’s senior woman administrator in 2004, a responsibility she held until 2020. She also assumed the title of deputy athletic director in 2016, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the athletic department.  

Beyond her duties at Vanderbilt, Candice is a leader in college athletics at a national level. She has served on the Southeastern Conference’s Council on Racial Equity and Social Justice and on the executive committee of the Black Athletic Directors Alliance. She also served as a member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee and as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee. In 2022, she was named Athletic Director of the Year at the Black Student-Athlete Summit. The Sports Business Journal named her to its college sports “Power Players” list in 2019, and Adidas named her to its “NEXT UP” class in 2018.   

Candice currently serves or has served on the boards of directors for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Nashville Sports Council, YWCA of Middle Tennessee, Harpeth Hall School, and The Family Center.   

Commodore teams have won six national championships in baseball (two), bowling (three) and women’s tennis during her tenure. Vanderbilt teams have also won more than 20 conference championships and tournament titles. Additionally, the football team has played in six bowl games since breaking a 26-year bowl drought in 2008.  

Vanderbilt student-athletes continue to succeed in the classroom under Candice’s leadership. The spring 2024 semester marked the 29th consecutive semester Vanderbilt student-athletes posted a cumulative GPA above 3.0.  

Candice is married to Sean Lee, the executive director of a Middle Tennessee housing authority. They have an adult son, Andrew.

 



TIFFANI-DAWN SYKES

Nike Division I FCS Executive of the Year 
Vice President & Director of Athletics, Florida A&M University

Tiffani-Dawn Sykes took over the Florida A&M Athletics Department as the vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics on January 4, 2023, and has seen her school’s student-athletes experience success ever since. 

During the 2023-24 academic year, FAMU experienced unparalleled athletics and academic success. The Rattlers captured two HBCU Division I National Championships (football and golf) during the same year for the first time in school history. Additionally, FAMU’s win in the 2023 Celebration Bowl marked the first time a female athletics director won the contest since the bowl’s inception. In the classroom, the Rattlers had six teams achieve perfect APR scores, the highest in school history.   
 
Before joining Florida A&M, Tiffani-Dawn served as the executive senior associate athletics director for varsity sports and senior woman administrator (SWA) at Dartmouth College. Before Dartmouth, Sykes served as the assistant athletics director for compliance at Grambling State in Louisiana for two-and-a-half years, overseeing the day-to-day responsibilities of the department’s compliance program, including monitoring, education, and certification. She had sport responsibilities as the supervisor for the baseball, softball, and women’s tennis teams, and created “The Maul,” a fueling station for all GSU student-athletes. Sykes has also spent time at Norfolk State and at Chowan University in North Carolina.   

She began her career in college athletics in 2002 at Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in sports information and took on the role of the SWA during her four years there. Other stops include Virginia Union University, an initial stay at Grambling State, during which time she earned her master’s degree in sport administration, and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference office.  
  
A 2001 graduate of Virginia State with a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education, recreation, and dance, Tiffani-Dawn was a team captain and four-year starter for the Trojans’ volleyball team and a three-year letter winner on the track and field team. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC), Women Leaders in Sports, and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association.  

Tiffani-Dawn is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.    

 



JILL BODENSTEINER

Nike Division I Executive of the Year 
Vice President and Director of Athletics, Saint Joseph's University

Jill Bodensteiner began her tenure as director of athletics at Saint Joseph’s University in 2018, coming to Hawk Hill after an impressive 20‑year career at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. She oversees the Hawks’ 20 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s varsity sports and membership in the Atlantic 10 Conference.  

During Jill’s tenure, St. Joe’s field hockey has appeared in the NCAA tournament five out of six years and won its first tournament game in program history. The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each made their first‑ever NCAA tournament appearances. St. Joe’s baseball won its first A10 regular-season championship. The men’s and women’s basketball teams swept through the city opponents to win the 2023 Big 5 Championships, and the teams received postseason bids to the NIT and WBIT, respectively.  

Under Jill ‘s leadership, the department has adopted a powerful and unique culture based on the power of human relationships, with a significant focus on inclusion and authenticity.  

Transformation and adaptation have been hallmarks of Jill’s leadership. The university is in the midst of $80 million in capital projects that will transform facilities for both intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation. Under Jill’s direction, St. Joe’s created the Beyond the Hill program to develop student‑athletes in the areas of academics, leadership, diversity and inclusion, spirituality and service, and career. In 2024, St. Joe’s was one of eight institutions (and one of two non‑Power 4 schools) to be nominated for the INFLCR best institutional NIL program award. 

 Jill currently serves on three NCAA committees: the Division I Council’s NIL Working Group; the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and the NCAA Committee on Academics. She is also the vice chair of the Philadelphia Sports Commission. Jill previously served on the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics and as a Board Member of Women Leaders in Sports. As a former practicing labor and employment attorney and university counsel, Jill is a frequent speaker on legal issues in college sports. She was invited to testify in front of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives regarding the future of college athletics.  

A native of Valparaiso, Indiana, Jill received her BA from Notre Dame, her JD from Washington University Law School in St. Louis, and her MBA from Notre Dame. 

 



RACHEL BURLESON

Nike Division II Executive of the Year 
Director of Athletics, Franklin Pierce University


Rachel Burleson is entering her eighth year as director of athletics at Franklin Pierce University. Under Rachel’s leadership, Pierce athletics has taken flight at the local and national level. Through her vision, Franklin Pierce has expanded to 24 athletic programs that set a strong foundation for student-athletes to compete on the field, excel in the classroom, and prepare for a meaningful and successful career in the years following graduation.  

Since Rachel’s arrival, FPU athletics has reeled in three Division II national championships, two DII national coach-of-the-year awards, dozens of NCAA playoff appearances, the NE10 President’s Cup, and 18 Northeast-10 Player-of-the-Year awards.  

While Raven athletes win on the field, under Rachel’s direction they’re also building a culture as retention on campus has skyrocketed. Her focus on modernizing facilities, growing community involvement, and boosting the student-athlete experience gives each person a place to feel welcome and at home during their four years on campus.    

Rachel’s philosophy spotlights making the best of every season while raising the bar for the seasons to come. Connecting past, current and future FPU athletes, she leads the charge for what it truly means to be a Raven.  

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Ravens earned their second consecutive men’s soccer national championship and reached the postseason in 19 of 23 sports. Rachel represented Franklin Pierce University as a member of the DII ADA Women and Minorities Mentoring program for the second time, was the women’s rowing liaison for the Coaches Connector program, the first ever woman to serve on the DII Men’s Lacrosse National Committee, and member of the DII ADA Executive Board, representing the Northeast-10 Conference. Additionally, Rachel served as a faculty member in the women and minorities mentoring program, presenting on the director of athletics and senior woman administrator relationship.   

FPU student-athletes won several major awards last season, including NE10 Man of the Year, NE10 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, NE10 Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, NE10 Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, Men’s Soccer East Region Player of the Year, two sport excellence awards, two rookie-of-the-year honors, NE10 Goal Keeper of the Year, and eight NE10 Player-of-the-Year awards. Under Rachel’s leadership this past season, the school had three conference coach-of-the-year award winners, East Regional Coaching Staff of the Year, and national coaching staff of the year. In addition, Rachel was named the NACDA DII Athletic Director of the Year.

 



AYANNA TWEEDY

Nike Division III Executive of the Year 
Athletic Director, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology


Visionary intercollegiate athletics leader Ayanna Tweedy enters her third year as the athletic director at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  

A native of Chesterfield, Virginia, Ayanna joined the Rose-Hulman athletic department in January of 2022 taking on the administrative responsibilities as the first athletic director to serve exclusively in that role full time. She made an immediate impact on the student-athlete experience with an intentional focus on improving hiring best practices, increasing professional development opportunities for all coaches, and enhancing compliance best practices.  

Over the past year, Ayanna has served on the planning committee for the $5.1 million facility upgrades that include the addition of a recruiting room, seven new office spaces, a locker room and a new meeting room space. Additionally, she was an advocate for the $350,000 Rose-Hulman baseball and softball netting installment project.  She serves on the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships committee and was also named as a Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) board member.  

During her tenure, Ayanna has elevated more women to senior staff roles and increased women’s assistant coaches by four percent, fought for equity in pay, received the Women and Ethnic Minority grant for an assistant volleyball coach/assistant to the AD position, and expanded hiring pools to increase coaches of color by eight percent. 

Before coming to Rose-Hulman, Ayanna served as the associate director of athletics and campus wellness/SWA at Wabash College. She served as the head administrator for five athletic programs, supervised 12 coaches, and served on Wabash’s COVID-19 management team. She led the Little Giants in intentional leadership development and mindfulness workshops for coaches, administration, and student-athletes.   

Additionally, Ayanna served as chair for the North Coast Athletic Conference’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and co-chaired Wabash’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She is an active member in Women Leaders, MOAA, and NADAIIIA. Ayanna is a graduate of the NCAA Leadership Academy and a 2019 graduate of the Women Leaders in Sports Institute for Administrative Advancement. She participated in the 2019 NCAA effective facilitator workshop and currently serves as a DISC facilitator, which is an assessment tool used to help improve teamwork, communication and productivity in the workplace.   

Before working at Wabash, Ayanna was the assistant athletic director for compliance and student-athlete services at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Before her departure, she was promoted to deputy Title IX officer and the SWA for the Sagehens.  

Ayanna earned a master’s degree in higher education and administration from Southern New Hampshire University after receiving a bachelor’s degree in child adolescent studies from Bowie State University.  

 



ANDREA SAVAGE

Nike Conference Executive of the Year
Executive Director, New England Small College Athletic Conference


Andrea Savage assumed the duties as executive director of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in August 1999, making her the conference’s first executive director since its founding in 1971.  

With more than three decades of experience, Andrea serves as the chief executive officer of the 11-member conference, working with the presidents, athletics administrators, medical personnel, coaches and student-athletes in the oversight and administration of the conference. She led the league through its transition to a full playing conference with the adoption of conference scheduling and championships. She also increased conference sport sponsorship and opportunities for women with the addition of women’s ice hockey and women’s golf. She leads one of the largest Division III conferences in the country, consisting of 27 sports and more than 7,000 athletes. Since assuming her role, the conference has won more than 100 Division III national championships.  

Andrea advances the values and philosophy of the conference, where comprehensive athletic programs support the educational mission. With a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she has led initiatives focused on fostering an inclusive environment and promoting personal and professional growth for individuals from diverse backgrounds. Among the initiatives instituted are the Future Leaders Forum, NESCAC Inclusion Summit, and You Can Play PSA.  

Andrea has served on various regional and national committees during her career. She is serving a second term on the Division III Commissioners Association executive board and its Championships Committee. Previous committee service includes the NCAA Interpretations and Legislation Committee, ECAC Board of Directors, Division III Commissioners Association Executive Committee and Commissioners Association Grant Committee.  

Prior to joining the NESCAC, Andrea was a senior athletics administrator at Yale University for eight years. At Yale, she was responsible for 19 intercollegiate programs and managed budgeting, scheduling, compliance, and event management, and served as an admissions and financial aid liaison.  

A graduate of Amherst College, Andrea was a three-sport athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. She later returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for all three teams. Other coaching stops included the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she served as assistant coach for the field hockey and lacrosse programs. She went on to receive a Master of Science in sports administration at UMass. 

She has been involved in the coordination of several large amateur and professional sporting events, including opening and closing ceremonies for the International Special Olympics, US and World Cup exhibition soccer games, and The Games of the XXVI Olympiad held in Atlanta. 

 



JAYME PENDERGAST

Nike NAIA Executive of the Year 
Director of Athletics, Life University


On October 26, 2016, Life University President Dr. Rob Scott appointed Jayme Pendergast as the director of athletics. During her time at Life U, the athletic department has seen tremendous growth with the addition of 14 new varsity teams, growing the department to over 600 student-athletes, the largest athletic program in metro Atlanta.    
  
Under Jayme’s leadership, Life University’s athletic success has soared.  Over the past two years alone, student-athletes earned 20 individual national championships, six team national championships, and 116 All-American honors.  Eight different teams have earned a final NAIA national ranking inside the top 10, leading to Life U’s highest ever finish (seventh) in the 2023 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup.  In addition to its NAIA success, Life University sits atop the USA Rugby collegiate side. In 2023 Life U captured the men’s and women’s Premier 7s Rugby National Championship, and in 2024 they captured their first D1 Elite Women’s 15s National Championship.  Academically, Life student-athletes have demonstrated their highest collective achievements under Jayme’s leadership, continuously growing department GPA and earning an increased number of student-athlete and team academic recognition awards year over year.  
  
Jayme and her team continue to find creative ways to create a meaningful student-athlete experience.   The More Than An Athlete (MTAA) program is about student-facing areas associated with physical, mental, and nutritional health and wellness as well as campus engagement.  The Fuel Station is a practical and educational resource used by over 60 percent of student-athletes.  Life U provides valuable mental skills training free to its student-athletes through an outside partnership with Head Games Consulting.  In addition, the athletic care department continues to be one of the most comprehensive athletic care departments in the NAIA, integrating free sport chiropractic care in close collaboration with its broad athletic training resources.  

Jayme has overseen facility improvements at Life U including the construction of the Running Eagle Performance Center, which has a dedicated wrestling room, weight room, locker rooms, and office space.  Jayme has also executed fundraising for four new video boards, a renovated study hall, and hall of fame display.   
  
Jayme is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), NAIA Athletic Directors Association, and Women Leaders in Sports.  She sits on the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC), is the NAC liaison for women’s wrestling, and is the ARC chair for NAIA women’s volleyball.  Pendergast is also on the Board of Directors for National Collegiate Rugby, the largest organization supporting collegiate rugby.

 



ANGIE LONG

Nike Sport Business Executive of the Year 
Founder & Co-Owner, Kansas City Current 


Angie Long is chief investment officer and one of two principal owners of Palmer Square Capital Management, where she has key responsibilities for all investment-related activities.  

With her leadership, the firm has grown Assets Under Management (AUM) to more than $29 billion and has expanded its global presence, notably with the recent establishment of a London office. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in credit and fixed income. Angie has a history of innovation including pioneering aspects of the credit derivatives industry and creating the HYDI (High Yield Debt Index), the first liquid credit trading index and predecessor to all of today’s indices (the Markit CDX).  

Angie’s career includes experience at JPMorgan Chase & Co. where she was named a managing director at age 29 and held many senior roles. In addition, she worked with the Global Head of Credit Trading to help oversee risk management for the High Yield and High Grade credit trading books.  

In 2021, Angie added the title of professional sports team owner to her long list of accomplishments, as she joined co-founder and owner Chris Long and co-owner Brittany Mahomes in bringing a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise to Kansas City. The team launched on an extraordinary timeline, playing its first professional match just 124 days after the franchise was announced. In March 2024, the Kansas City Current opened CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team.  

Angie received an AB degree in economics from Princeton University and was a member of two national championship rugby teams and named an All-American in 1997. She has continued her involvement with Princeton, serving on the Women in Leadership Committee of Princeton, founding the Greater Kansas City Princeton Women’s Network (PWN), and serving as co-chair for the Princeton Greater Kansas City Region’s Alumni Schools Committee.   

Angie serves on the Board of Directors of Union Station and the KC 2026 World Cup Board. She has been recognized for her work by being named to the Women's International Champions Cup Best XI, 2022 Sports Business Journal Power Player, 2023 Business Journal's Bizwomen 100, University of Missouri - Kansas City's 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year and Ingram's 2023 class of WeKC - Women Executives Kansas City. In November 2023, Angie was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame.  

Angie is a member of the 100 Women in Finance and is a CFA® charter holder.  

 



NEVIN CAPLE

Nike Nell Jackson Executive of the Year 
Founder & CEO, Return on Inclusion


Nevin Caple is the founder and CEO of Return On Inclusion (ROI), an industry-leading change agency specializing in inclusive leadership development, training and consulting, and social impact. She is a globally recognized educator and thought leader with over a decade of experience developing sustainable inclusion strategies for a wide range of sports organizations, institutions, businesses, and industries.  

Nevin's clients include the NFL, NCAA, ESPN, USTA, USOC, NACDA, and U.S. Center for SafeSport, among others. Her work has been recognized by major brands, including Nike and Athleta. Nevin is the first diversity and inclusion consultant for the CIAA Conference, the nation's oldest HBCU athletic conference. Her expertise lies in addressing the intersections of identity and leadership in sports and business, leveraging DEI strategies to enhance physical, mental, and emotional wellness.  

On behalf of ROI, Nevin was commissioned by the NCAA to lead the development of the NCAA DIII Inclusive Leaders Training-of-Trainers Program aimed at advancing the recruitment and retention of DIII student-athletes of color. Prior to that, Nevin collaborated with her dear friend and mentor, Dr. Pat Griffin, to develop the NCAA DIII ONE TEAM Program.  

In addition to her work with sports organizations, she sits on the National Center for Lesbian Rights Leadership Council and previously served on the Board of Directors at Stonewall Foundation. One of her proudest achievements is being honored as an emerging leader by The White House under the Obama Administration. Nevin currently resides in New York City with her wife.