(Pictured left to right: Titus Till, President Jon Alger, Athletic Director Jeff Bourne, student-athlete services graduate assistant Brad Burgess, Director of Student-Athlete Affairs/Academic Advisor Tiffany Brutus, Amanda Presgraves and Faculty Athletics Representative Roger Soenksen)James Madison hosted the 2014 Colonial Athletic Association Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Leadership Summit November 9-10.
Â
JMU President Jonathan Alger, Athletic Director
Jeff Bourne, Faculty Athletic Representative
Dr. Roger Soenksen and Director of Student-Athlete Affairs and SAAC Advisor
Tiffany Brutus had roles in JMU hosting the event.
Â
"The summit is a true example of one of the many intentional ways that JMU as well the CAA support the overall development of our student-athletes," Brutus said. "All the summit participants have learned something new about themselves as individuals, athletes and/or professionals."
Â
One male and one female student-athlete leader from each member institution attended the summit, accompanied by 10 campus SAAC advisors and the CAA National SAAC Representative, Sydni Epps of Hofstra University.
Â
Redshirt-senior football linebacker Titus Till and junior member of the swimming and diving squad
Amanda Presgraves were this year's JMU student-athlete representatives.
Â
"I developed my skills as a leader not only from the workshops we participated in and the speakers but most importantly from the other student-athlete representatives who provided perspective," Presgraves said.
Â
Also in attendance were CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager, CAA Senior Associate Commissioner Kathleen Batterson and CAA Assistant Director for Compliance & Student-Athlete Services Donna Jones.
Â
The first day of the event included NCAA Speaker Monique A.J. Smith's interactive session on the Step Up! Bystander Intervention Program, dinner on campus and an evening presentation by former JMU football player and current JMU professional development specialist Raymond Brown.
Â
The last day of the summit was held in Taylor Hall and stimulated discussions between student-athletes and advisors on current controversial issues in collegiate athletics.
Â
Â
Â