SEC Opportunity Forum class meets in Nashville

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (March 10, 2023) – During the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville, the SEC hosted the third session of its inaugural SEC Opportunity Forum, a yearlong program designed to connect the SEC’s mid- and senior-level administrators from historically underrepresented groups with industry leaders and help them. professional development opportunities. The inaugural class consists of fifteen university and conference administrators participating in a series of four-part engagements.

“The Southeastern Conference and its member institutions are committed to developing the leadership diversity of our athletic departments,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “It is important for the Conference and its member institutions to achieve measurable and continuous progress to increase the diversity and representation of historically underrepresented groups in athletic positions, consistent with the overall educational mission.”

Phase I of the SEC Opportunities Forum focuses on administrators in the SEC who are interested in becoming athletic directors or conference commissioners. The future phase of the Forum will be designed to involve coaches who will be named head coaches and administrators and coaches earlier in their careers.

The series of four engagements in 2022-2023 has included a private session at the SEC Office in Birmingham in October and the SEC Football Championship in Atlanta in December. The program will conclude during the SEC Spring Meeting in Destin in May.

The SEC Opportunity Forum is one of the results of SEC Bylaw 23, a Conference rule adopted by the SEC President and Chancellor in 2021 to encourage, facilitate and assist member institutions to attract, hire and retain individuals from historically underrepresented groups in athletic department leadership , particularly in the roles of athletic director, head coach, and senior female administrator (SWA) and in positions that typically lead to these roles.

The SEC collaborates with each member university to identify individuals to be invited to participate in the Forum. The inaugural SEC Opportunity Forum executive class includes:

2023 Opportunity Forum

ADMINISTRATOR	ROLE
Joe Suiter, Alabama	Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Improvement
Terry Prentice, Arkansas	Senior Associate Athletic Director / Athlete Brand Development
His name is Paul, Auburn	Executive Athletic Director/SWA
Kim Green, Florida	Associate Athletics Director for Compliance
Darrice Griffin, Georgia	Senior Deputy Athletic Director
Ray Oliver, Kentucky	Executive Associate Athletics Director/ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Lori Williams, LSU	Deputy Athletic Director for Leadership and Strategy
Dr. Jennifer Saxon, Ole Miss	Executive Athletic Director/SWA
Alvin Franklin, Mississippi State	Associate Athletic Director/Development and Team Leader
Donald Senate, Missouri	Academic Coordinator
David Jackson, South Carolina	Senior Accounting / Fiscal Manager
Marcus Hilliard, Tennessee	Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief of Staff
Dan Childs, Texas A&M	Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services
Eugene Henderson, Vanderbilt	Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services
Misty Brown, Southeastern Conference	Assistant Commissioner / Competition and Student-Athlete Involvement