CSC Governance, Pathway to Leadership

Our work

College Sports Communicators is the premier membership association for more than 4,700 strategic, creative and digital professionals working in intercollegiate athletics across all levels for colleges, universities and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. 

CSC provides year-round advocacy, leadership, education, recognition, and support for the intercollegiate athletics communications community. We engage and empower members, develop exceptional leaders, and promote and enhance our profession.

Volunteer leaders within the CSC membership are integral to the success of our organization. These leaders work hand-in-hand with the organization’s full-time staff to achieve our goals. 

I want to:

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES: 

See below for information about requirements and how to apply to be part of CSC leadership.

What is the Pathway to Leadership?

Pathway to Leadership is designed to answer commonly asked questions related to the process, expectations and time demands of serving in a CSC leadership position.

CSC provides numerous opportunities for leadership development and growth of our members through serving on the Executive Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, Divisional cabinets or one of the organization’s many committees. By serving, CSC members can positively impact our profession, while also enhancing their own professional experience. 

Ready to get started? Review the information below and get ready to step forward to be a leader within CSC!

Requirements and responsibilities

Serving in a CSC leadership role is an honor and a privilege, and carries with it the responsibility to serve the interests of CSC, its full membership and stakeholders to accomplish its organizational goals. Current CSC membership is a requirement to serve in any CSC leadership position.

Find your place in CSC leadership

Click into the selection below to learn more about each level of CSC leadership including term lengths, time commitment and details about how to apply for each opportunity.

  • Description:
    The top level of governance is the Executive Board of Directors and includes the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, an At-Large Representative, a College Division Representative, the immediate Past President, and Secretary. All positions are open to any qualified member of CSC except the College Division Representative which must be a member representing a non-Division I member organization. The national staff serves as ex-officio members of the executive board. 

    Term: 
    Officer rotation: 5 years (3rd Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, President, Past President)
    Secretary: Permanent
    At-Large/College Division Representatives: 2 years

    Time commitment:
    Monthly Executive Board of Directors virtual conferences take place throughout the year. Executive Board members meet in person with national staff at the NCAA Convention in January, at the CSC Unite annual convention in June, and at a designated location for a late summer meeting typically held in August. Other travel may be requested by the Executive Director or the CSC President, based on availability, to represent CSC at various events.

    Note about travel:
    CSC Unite Convention: CSC covers hotel room costs for Executive Board members. Executive Board members are responsible for their own transportation and convention registration.
    August CSC Leadership Meeting: CSC covers transportation, hotel room and meals for Executive Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
    NCAA Convention: CSC covers covers transportation, registration, hotel room and meals for Executive Board of Directors.

    How to apply: 
    Applications are typically open for eligible CSC members beginning in March. Applications close at an announced date in mid-April.

    Process:
    The Third VP position is open every year. The At-Large Representative and College Division Representative positions alternate each year. The At-Large position (open to any current CSC member from any area of the U.S. or Canada) is open in even years. The College Division Representative (open to any current CSC member from any area of the U.S. or Canada from a non-NCAA Division I school) is open in odd years. Advocate, retired, undergraduate student and honorary members are not eligible to serve in an Executive Board of Directors position.

    In the Spring of 2025, applications for the Third VP and College Division Representative positions will be reviewed by the CSC Nominating Committee, which is comprised of past presidents and those whose board positions will end in June 2025. Candidates may be requested to participate in a Zoom interview with the Nominating Committee.

    The Nominating Committee then will present a proposed slate of Board members for 2025-26 to the Executive Board of Directors in mid-May, with a membership vote to be held during the association’s annual online business meeting in late May.

    2025-26 Contacts:
    Nominating Committee Chair/Past President Kevin Trainor – University of Arkansas ktrainor@uark.edu
    2025-26 President Patrick Crawford – Purdue University  pcrawf@purdue.edu 
    Will Roleson – CSC Interim Executive Director will@cscommunicators.com

  • Description:
    Comprised of Divisional Cabinet chairs of CSC's seven divisional cabinets including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, Two-Year Colleges, Canadian Institutions and Past Presidents. 

    Time Commitment:
    Quarterly Zoom meetings
    Summer in-person meeting with CSC Executive Board and Staff, typically in early August. 

    Note about travel:
    August Leadership Meeting: CSC covers transportation, hotel room and meals for Executive Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
    No expenses are covered by CSC for the CSC Unite convention for Advisory Council or Divisional Cabinet members.

    How to apply / process:
    No applications may be made to join the Advisory Council, directly, as it is composed of other identified leadership positions.

    2025-26 Contacts:
    CSC First Vice President Matt Panto – Ivy League matt@ivyleague.com
    CSC Second Vice President Katie Gonzales – Illinois Wesleyan University kgonzal1@iwu.edu

  • Description:
    As part of the CSC Governance structure, the Division I Cabinet represents and advocates for issues related to sports communicators working at NCAA Division I institutions. The cabinet is also responsible for helping plan, organize and execute Division I programming at the annual CSC Convention.

    Time Commitment:
    Monthly Zoom meetings and other special meetings (Divisional day programming etc.) as needed.

    How to apply:
    Those interested in applying for the Division I Cabinet should contact cabinet Chair Mike Mahoney. 

    Process:
    Currently, members are added by the Chair on an appointment basis.

    2025-26 Contact:
    Chair Mike Mahoney – University of Pennsylvania, Director of Athletic Communications mahoneyw@upenn.edu
    DI Staff Liaison Jason Yaman – CSC Executive Director  jason@cscommunicators.com
    DI Staff Liaison Will Roleson – CSC Associate Executive Director  will@cscommunicators.com

  • Description:  The purpose of the Division II Cabinet (D2SIDA) shall be to support the mission set forth by the College Sports Communicators by:

    • Effectively presenting the unique viewpoints, positions, and interests of the NCAA Division II media relations professionals to institutions of higher education, CSC, and the NCAA.
    • Facilitating professional development, encouragement, and effective communication for and among the Division II athletic communicators across the country.
    • Fostering excellence, diversity, and success of Division II sport and athletic communicators.

    Term: 
    Officer rotation: 8 years (Two years each as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, President, Past President)
    Regional Representatives: 3 years

    Time Commitment: 
    Monthly Zoom board calls from September to May. The Division II Cabinet also plans the annual Division Divisional Day at CSC Unite. The president of the cabinet also represents Division II on CSC's Advisory Council that meets quarterly.

    How to apply: 
    Applications open for eligible Division II members beginning in May and may include self-nominations. Applications will close at an announced time and then voted on by the membership electronically. The Division II cabinet for the new year should be announced during the annual Division II business meeting at CSC Unite. 

    2026: Second Vice-President, Secretary, East region, Midwest region, West region, South Central region

    2027: Central region, Southeast region

    2028: Atlantic region, South region

    Process: 
    Applications will close at an announced time and then voted on by the membership electronically. The Division II cabinet for the new year should be announced during the annual Division II business meeting at CSC Unite. 

    2025-26 Contacts:
    DII President Jon Holtz – Slippery Rock University jonathan.holtz@sru.edu
    DII Past President Michael MacEachern – Georgia College & State University michael.maceachern@gcsu.edu
    DII Staff Liaison Will Roleson – CSC Interim Executive Director  will@cscommunicators.com

  • Description:
    The D3SIDA Board seeks to function as a voice for NCAA Division III athletics communications professionals, serving as advocates for its membership while empowering individuals to be key stakeholders within the intercollegiate athletics landscape. The board is comprised of a four-officer rotation, four regional representative positions and four standing positions.

    Term: 
    Officer rotation: 4 years (one year each as 2nd VP, 1st VP, President, Past President)
    Regional Representative: 2 years (two regions filled every other year)
    Standing positions: 4 years (Academic All-America, Communications, Social Media and Conference Liaison, filled on a rotating schedule)

    Time Commitment:
    One Zoom meeting per month. Additional sub-committee work when necessary.

    How To Apply:
    Open positions on the board are solicited each year in the spring through the Cabinet Communications Liaison. The 2nd VP position and two regional spots are always up for nomination each year.

    Process:
    The D3SIDA board will solicit applications for open regional and presidential rotation positions each year via an online Form. This will be promoted via email and social media. Once applications are in, the membership will vote for the open positions. Voting for regional representatives is by region-only. Standing positions are appointed by the board per its bylaws, however, interested parties can contact the current president to be considered. 

    2025-26 Contacts: 
    DIII President Katie Gonzales – Illinois Wesleyan kgonzal1@iwu.edu
    DIII Cabinet Communications Liaison Mark Fleming – Moravian University mfleming@moravian.edu
    DIII Staff Liaison Becky Griesmer – CSC Director of Operations and Professional Development  becky@cscommunicators.com 

  • Description: 
    Objectives of NAIA-SIDA and the NAIA Cabinet are to expedite in every way possible the promotion of, and publicity for, member institutions and their student-athletes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, for the NAIA as a whole and the underlying philosophy to which it is committed. The NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors serves dually as the NAIA Cabinet.

    Governance within the NAIA-SIDA / NAIA Cabinet includes a president, first vice president, second vice president, past president, and four at-large members. The first vice president succeeds the president. The second vice president is not in the rotation to the presidency. 

    Term: 
    Officer rotation: 9 years (three years each as 1st VP, President, Past President)
    Second Vice President: 3 years (does not automatically transition to 1st VP)
    At-large members: 2 years

    Time Commitment:
    Monthly Zoom meetings (usually second Tuesday of the month). The president and two other members of the Board (at the president's appointment) serve on the NAIA's National Administrative Council. The NAIA NAC meets semi-annually, including at the NAIA National Convention. The president also serves on the NAIA's Council of Presidents (non-voting member). The first vice president shall serve as program chair for the NAIA-SIDA Workshop and serve on the Council for Student-Athletes. The second vice president shall record the minutes of each meeting and conference call of the Association and Board of Directors and report said minutes to the NAIA National Office for dissemination. Board members are encouraged but not required to attend the NAIA-SIDA Divisional Day during the CSC Convention.

    How To Apply:
    Nominations are accepted prior to the CSC Convention — usually in April. 

    Process:
    Each member institution gets one vote per open position on the Board. The first vice president succeeds the president. The first vice president shall be elected by a majority vote of eligible voting members and shall hold office for three years or until his/her successor is elected and qualified. In the event that 51 percent is not achieved by one candidate, the top two vote-getters will go to a run-off election. The first vice president must have previously served on the board. The office of president will be filled by the first vice president upon the completion of their three-year term. Terms of office shall begin following the annual business meeting. The second vice president shall be elected by a majority vote of eligible voting members and shall hold office for three years or until his/her successor is elected and qualified. In the event that 51 percent is not achieved by one candidate, the top two vote-getters will go to a run-off election. The second vice president does not automatically rotate into the first vice president role. At-large members shall be elected by eligible voting members. The top vote-getter by vote of the eligible voting members shall be declared the winner. In the case of multiple open positions, it shall be the top vote getters as determined by the number of open positions. Each eligible voter will be allotted the same number of votes as open positions. Each at-large member shall serve a two- (2) year term on a rotating basis. 

    2025-26 Contacts:
    NAIA-SIDA President Tommy Chasanoff – University of the Cumberlands thomas.chasanoff@ucumberlands.edu
    NAIA Past President Chris Wells – Lindsey Wilson College wellsc@lindsey.edu
    NAIA Staff Liaison Alivia Dieterlen – CSC Assistant Director of Communications and Creative Content  alivia@cscommunicators.com

  • Description: 
    The role of the Two-Year Cabinet is to provide leadership and advocacy for two-year communicators that are a part of CSC. It includes members from the NJCAA, 3C2A and NWAC. Positions include Chair, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary and At-Large members. 

    Term:
    Chair rotation: 6 years (two years each as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, President)
    Secretary: Currently there are no term limits.
    At-Large Representatives: Currently there are no term limits.

    Time commitment: 
    The cabinet meets on a monthly basis via Zoom, or as needed. The cabinet is responsible for developing Two-Year College programming at the CSC Unite convention.

    How to apply: 
    Interested parties can express their willingness to serve to any 2YSIDA Executive Committee member. 

    Process: 
    Leadership positions are voted on by the Two-Year membership at the annual 2YSIDA business meeting in conjunction with the CSC Unite convention. General members are added by the Chair on an appointment basis.

    2025-26 Contacts: 
    Two-Year Cabinet Chair Candice Kelm – McLennan Community College ckelm@mclennan.edu
    Two-Year Staff Liaison Beau White – CSC Director of Communications and Brand Strategy  beau@cscommunicators.com

  • Description: 
    The Canadian Cabinet was created in November 2020, and serves as the Divisional Cabinet for Canadian communicators within the CSC governance structure. The cabinet has four primary goals/mandates; Advocacy, Professional Development, Mentorship, and working as a unified voice with the CCAA and U SPORTS National Offices.

    Term:
    Presidential rotation: 4 years (1 year as President-Elect, 2 years as President, 1 year as Past President)
    Regional Representatives: 2 years
    At-Large Representative: 1 year

    Time Commitment:
    Monthly Zoom meeting as well as the expectation when financially possible to attend the annual CSC Unite convention. As regional representatives, there is an expectation to be flexible with additional time if contacted by a colleague to bring things forward to the executive.

    How To Apply:
    Applications are open for eligible CSC members beginning in April. Applications will close at an announced date in early May. All applications will be submitted through CAN CSC’s application form.

    Process:
    The regional representative positions were staggered on their two-year cycle to ensure there is approximately half of the executive being new members each year. OUA, RSEQ and CCAA are on one cycle, while AUS and Canada West are the alternating year.

    The At-Large representative is elected each year. The intent of this position is to provide opportunities to a young, up-and-coming professional and to enhance the diversity of the cabinet representation (gender, BIPOC, etc.).

    The president will serve for a four-year rotation: one year as president-elect, two years as president, and one year as past president.

    Once all applications are received, they are presented to the executive for a vote. Should a person be reoffering, they are considered a conflict of interest from their regional representative vote but are included in all other votes. 

    2025-26 Contacts:
    CAN CSC President Connor Hood – University of Alberta hood@ualberta.ca
    Canadian Staff Liaison Alivia Dieterlen – CSC Assistant Director of Communications and Creative Content  alivia@cscommunicators.com

  • Description:
    Each year CSC honors hundreds of members, thousands of student-athletes and provides countless opportunities for professional development, mentorship, career development and more.

    What makes much of that work possible is the labor of love provided by more than 500 CSC member volunteers. To serve on a CSC committee is to give back to your professional community in a meaningful way.

    A wide variety of opportunities are available to join CSC committees. Whether you can give just a little time or are willing to take on something much larger, there are many ways to contribute and make a difference. For those who may want to get involved in CSC leadership in the future, joining and contributing to a committee is the best way to get started.

    Current CSC membership is required to serve on a committee. Members are allowed to serve on a maximum of two standing committees in addition to any other Board or Cabinet leadership roles they may have, so feel free to reach out with interest to multiple committees.

    Information about the time and commitment required to participate in our various committees is included here. If you are interested in applying to join any of the committees with openings, please contact the chair or vice chair and Beau White of the CSC staff via email. Final determinations about committee placements are made by the leadership of each committee. Those who do not remain active with their commitments may be removed by the chair of the committee at any time.

    CSC Committees:
    Academic All-America Core Program
    Academic All-America Hall of Fame
    Advocacy
    Career Services
    Creative and Digital Design Awards
    CSC U
    Fred Stabley, Sr. Writing Contest
    Goodwill and Wellness
    Inclusion
    Mentorship
    New Media
    Professional Development and Education
    Scholarships
    Special Awards
    Young Professionals

    Contact:
    Beau White – CSC Director of Communications and Brand Strategy beau@csccommunicators.com

  • Description:
    Comprised of former CSC Presidents. No applications may be made to join the Past Presidents Cabinet directly, as it is composed of those who have served in previous leadership positions. 

    Time Commitment:
    Quarterly Zoom meetings
    Executive Board of Directors candidate interviews and selections typically occurs in late April and into May.

    2025-26 Contact:
    Cabinet Chair Nick Joos – Iowa State University njoos@iastate.edu
    Nominating Committee Chair/CSC Past President Kevin Trainor – University of Arkansas  ktrainor@uark.edu
    Staff Liaison Jason Yaman – CSC Executive Director  jason@cscommunicators.com
    Staff Liaison Will Roleson – CSC Associate Executive Director  will@cscommunicators.com