By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Two members of the Willamette University Athletics Department staff have been selected to participate in the NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop, which will take place online between this fall and next spring. Representing Willamette will be Associate AD/Senior Woman Administrator Leslie Shevlin and Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach Annie Longtain. A total of just 30 colleges and universities from the NCAA's three divisions will be included this year.

Shevlin and Longtain will be involved in the Leadership Academy as a learning pair who can work together throughout the workshop. Meetings in the fall are set for every Thursday between Oct. 19 and Nov. 9. The second module of the workshop will be held between Jan. 25 and Feb. 15, with the third module set for March 22 through April 12.

The workshop is designed to help athletic administrators learn how to build a sustainable leadership development program and to prepare student-athletes for leadership roles on their respective campuses.

"I am grateful to have this opportunity with the NCAA," Shevlin said. "I am excited to participate alongside my co-SAAC advisor, Annie Longtain. "Our coaches do a wonderful job supporting their student-athletes in their academic, personal, and leadership development. As administrators, I think it is important that we work to provide additional support and structure so that our student-athletes may have the most robust development experience possible."

Participants in the Leadership Academy will identify local needs, networks, and resources that can help student leaders. They will learn how to measure the level of success of each program and will be able to form relationships with administrators on other campuses.

"I'm honored to have been selected for the NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop," Longtain said. It will be fantastic to work with Leslie as we start learning about concepts and best practices to help lead and develop our student-athletes into strong leaders."

The workshop also will look at best practices in leadership development. Ultimately, each pair of participants will create a leadership program for their athletic department to implement.

Each of the three modules has a topic area. Module 1 in the fall will focus on foundations. Module 2 in January and February will focus on applications of what has been learned, and Module 3 in March and April will focus on implementation. Polling and breakout groups will be key features of the workshop.

"I am eager to get started and to share the information I learn with our department and our division," Shevlin noted.