ASUN Conference Announces SAAC Officers for 2022-23 Academic Year
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ATLANTA - The ASUN Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) announced on Friday the officers for the upcoming 2022-23 academic year. Elected by their peers, North Florida's Ashley Cozad, Lipscomb's Scotty McKenzie and FGCU's Benjamin Hermiston are set to take over leadership roles with the SAAC. The Ospreys' Ashley Cozad represents the ASUN Conference at the NCAA Divison I SAAC level.
2022-23 ASUN Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Officers
Ashley Cozad (Swimming & Diving) - NCAA Division I SAAC Representative
Scotty McKenzie, Lipscomb (Track & Field) - ASUN SAAC Chair
Benjamin Hermiston, FGCU (Men's Cross Country) - ASUN SAAC Vice Chair
Katy Kost (Rowing) - ASUN SAAC Secretary
Kelsey Mead (Volleyball), Social Media Coordinator
Eleanor King (Women's Cross Country) - Social Media Coordinator
Cozad enters her third year serving as a part of ASUN SAAC as she previously held the title of Vice Chair. She is replacing Cortney VanLiew who served as ASUN Chair for the 2021-22 academic year. VanLiew graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University last year.
"I would like to accomplish four initiatives over the upcoming year, including mental health, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Community Service, & Civic Engagement," stated UNF's Ashley Cozad.
The remaining officers are all first first-year representatives on the ASUN SAAC Executive Board after serving as their institutional officers for the past year with the league.
"I would like to create a group with well-established objectives and goals. For example, we all pick one thing and all do it to the best of our ability" added FGCU's Benjamin Hermiston.
Stetson's Eleanor King noted the passion that former SAAC Chair Arye Beck showed towards the committee made her want to be involved. "My biggest goal is to implement more community service initiatives on our campus and create an environment where members feel comfortable sharing and they have a voice," said King.
Over the past year, ASUN SAAC has been an integral piece of the league's governance process by providing feedback and insight during the Covid Pandemic and the return to play for all league-sponsored sports. ASUN SAAC launched new initiatives over the past couple of years including a partnership with Democracy Works for the creation of a league-wide Voter Registration Drive for student-athletes. On the Division I SAAC, Amaar successfully advocated for the return of the number of NCAA Track & Field Preliminary participants from 32 to 48 increasing the number of student-athlete opportunities across the nation.
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The ASUN, a Division I conference member of the NCAA, boasts a membership of institutions that share visionary leadership, bold ambition and creative innovation. As a nimble adaptive conference, unafraid to blaze a national pathway for better service to our student-athletes, teams, and institutions, the ASUN has a proud history of firsts, national academic and athletic achievements and a conference culture that walks the walk with its four ASUN Beams. Students First! Rise. Connect. Impact. #ASUNBuilt by Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tenn.), Bellarmine (Louisville, Ky.), Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.), Eastern Kentucky (Richmond, Ky.), FGCU (Fort Myers, Fla.), Jacksonville (Fla.), Jacksonville State (Jacksonville, Ala.), Kennesaw State (Ga.), Liberty (Lynchburg, Va.), Lipscomb (Nashville, Tenn.), North Alabama (Florence, Ala.), North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), Queens (Charlotte, N.C.) and Stetson (DeLand, Fla.).
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