The MAC Women's Leadership Symposium (MAC WLS) is developed for women aspiring to, or just beginning, a career in athletics. This program aims to enrich participants' skills, expand their professional network and promote the recruitment and retention of women within intercollegiate athletics.

Participants gain knowledge from a variety of interactive discussion sessions during the one-day program. A variety of topics are explored including developing leadership philosophies, interview skills, career strategy, and much more. They will also network with peers, and MAC coaches, administration, and staff.

KEY DATES
Thursday, September 26, 2019 - Online registration opens
Sunday, October 20, 2019 - Online registration closes
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 - Program materials distributed
Sunday, October 27, 2019 - Program date

The MAC WLS will take place in Reading, Pa. at Alvernia University's student center on Sunday, October 27, 2019.

ELIGIBILITY
Any current female student from a MAC member institution may participate (includes graduate students and non-student-athletes). Limited to the first 60 registrants.

COST OF ATTENDING
This program is free to up to 60 registrants, and includes program materials as well as lunch and a boxed dinner. Participants are responsible for travel costs to and from the symposium.

REGISTRATION
Apply to be a participant in the 2019 MAC Women's Leadership Symposium here. Registration closes on Sunday, October 20, 2019.

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID
"I was able to start new relationships with my peers, and was able to use each of their perspectives to revisit my own coaching philosophies and practices."
SYMPOSIUM AGENDA [PDF]

SYMPOSIUM MATERIALS

Developing Your Leadership Philosophy - Jenn Noon PDF

Interviews and Networking - Megan Tustin PDF

Cleats to Clipboard - Jackie Dando & Brooke Good PDF

Officiating Session - Pat Gebhart PDF

Career Strategy, Branding, & Personal Potential - Danielle Lynch PDF

What to Expect as a Young Administrator, Coach, & GA - Megan Mundy & Caitlin Hadzimichalis PDF
  SYMPOSIUM LEADERS
Jackie Dando – Lebanon Valley College, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
 Jackie Dando enters her eighth season at the helm of LVC's women's lacrosse team in 2020 after guiding the Dutchmen to their first-ever MAC Commonwealth Title in 2019. Dando led LVC to a 12-8 overall record and the program's first-ever conference title and trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team reached the Second Round after defeating the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the First Round. She also guided Jen Eck to a MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year award and four others to all-conference nods, including Veronica Venezia, who landed on the First Team, as well as Brittany Hathaway, Makenzie Kelley, and Morgan Ernst, who each were named to the Second Team.

Dando was introduced as head coach on July 30, 2012, and in her first season led LVC to a 13-5 record, an appearance in the Commonwealth Conference semifinals, and the program's first hardware with an ECAC Tournament victory.

A four-year starter and two-time all-conference selection at Messiah from 2006 to 2009, Dando worked as an assistant coach at Villanova in 2012 and an assistant at Haverford in 2010 and 2011. She is no stranger to the top of the conference, having led Messiah to a pair of MAC titles and NCAA appearances as a student-athlete.

At Haverford, Dando started her coaching career and helped guide the Fords to a 13-5 record in 2010 - the program's highest single-season wins total. They advanced to the Centennial Conference semifinals and repeated in 2011 with a 10-7 overall record. Dando followed head coach Julie Young from Haverford to Villanova for the 2012 season, and the Wildcats finished 4-12 (2-6 Big East) for the best record in the program's short history.

Dando graduated from Messiah with a journalism degree in 2009, where she was a four-year starter and two-year captain at midfield. A two-time all-conference selection, she helped lead the Falcons to their first two MAC championships and NCAA tournament appearances in program history. She was a two-time Academic All-American and graduated eighth all-time with 115 goals and seventh with 44 assists. Dando is a native of West Chester, Pa., graduating from B. Reed Henderson High School.
 

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Pat Gebhart – PIAA, Assistant Executive Director
 Gebhart is a 25 year PIAA basketball official along with serving 7 years as Assistant Executive Director of the PIAA. Gebhart is also in charge of the PIAA Officials Program. 
 

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Laura Gingrich – Alvernia University, Associate Athletic Director / Head Field Hockey Coach 
 Gingrich is the winningest Field Hockey coach in program history, holding a 220-135 record including a 73-18 record from 2003-2007. During that span she coached four straight PAC Players of the Year and two conference Rookies of the Year.  In 2010, she returned with a record of 11-10.

Gingrich took the field hockey team from a roster that struggled to meet the minimums to a perennial invitee to the NCAA National Championship. Gingrich claimed her first PAC title in 2005, and a year later was named PAC Coach of the Year as she led the Crusaders to their second PAC Final appearance in as many years, and second straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Alvernia finished with an impressive 18-5 (10-1 PAC) record in 2006. The 2006 season also produced the third of four straight PAC Players of the Year for Alvernia, three NFHCA All-Region Team selections and two NFHCA All-American selections. In 2007, the team produced a perfect 10-0 record in conference, the second PAC title for Gingrich, a top 20 national ranking and another appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2015, the Golden Wolves claimed a MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and an NFHCA All-American. In 2016, Gingrich earned her 200th career win with a 5-2 win against Stevenson University. In 2017, the Golden Wolves appeared in the MAC Championship Tournament as the #2 seed. The Golden Wolves captured their third ECAC Championship in 2017.

During a two-year hiatus from coaching field hockey, Gingrich served Alvernia successfully as Interim Director of Athletics from 2007-09, where she managed the University's transition from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference to the Freedom Conference and oversaw the completion of the new baseball, softball, and artificial turf and track facilities. She also served as the first Head Track & Field Coach in Alvernia history. Her inaugural team produced four individual winners, an individual MAC champion, and a ninth-place finish for the Crusader men at the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Laura Gingrich resides in Shillington, PA with her husband and two children.  Brooke Good – Messiah College, Head Field Hockey Coach / Assistant Athletics Director / Senior Woman Administrator / Title IX Deputy
 The 2019 season marks Brooke Good's eighth year as head coach of Messiah field hockey. Three years ago she led the Falcons to their first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship, with a perfect 22-0 record against Division III competition. The win secured Messiah's first-ever title, and it also come in their ninth appearance in the national final. Good has compiled a 127-25 overall record in seven years, and the Falcons have won at least 15 games in each campaign. Additionally, Messiah has now qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 18-straight seasons.
 
In addition to her role as field hockey coach Good serves Assistant Athletics Director, Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), and Title IX Deputy for the Falcons. She assumed each of these roles in the Summer of 2016, ending a long-time run as Assistant Director of Athletic Communications.
 
Prior to being named head coach, Good served for nine years as an assistant coach with the field hockey program. Over that stretch of time, the Falcons qualified for nine NCAA Championship Tournaments and advanced to six "Final Fours." They finished as the National Runner-Up four times.
 
Good is a 2003 Messiah College graduate who earned numerous field hockey honors as a centerback and center midfielder during her four-year field hockey career at Messiah. She was named All-Commonwealth three times from 2000 to 2002. Good also made the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team as a senior in 2002, and was a Second Team NCAA All-American.
 
Also during her time with the Falcons, Good was a standout softball player. As a catcher and utility player Good was again a three-time All-Commonwealth player (2001, 2002, 2003) and a Regional All-American in 2003.
 
After graduating from Messiah College, Good went on to Millersville University where she obtained her M.Ed. in Sport Management in 2006. While completing her degree, she also worked as an instructor for the U.S. Hockey Futures program.
 
In addition to her role within Messiah Athletics, Good works in the offseason supporting a small family business in Avalon, N.J. properly entitled "It's All Good." Caitlin Hadzimichalis - King's College, Head Women's Basketball Coach
 After seven years as King's assistant coach, Caitlin Hadzimichalis was named head coach on July 18, 2016. Prior to being named to the top spot, Hadzimichalis had been involved in all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scouting, game-planning, film editing and review, and positional skill-work and player development.

In addition, Hadzimichalis was involved with student-athletes from many different sports at King's as a part of the College's Special Olympics Basketball Program as well as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Coach Hadzimichalis came to King's in 2009-10 after concluding an outstanding collegiate career at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa.

As a women's basketball player, Hadzimichalis was a four-year letter-winner and three-year team captain, earning team most valuable player honors in 2006 and 2008. She was also named to the 2008 Colonial States Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Team. Hadzimichalis concluded her Marywood basketball career with 868 points, 376 rebounds, 215 assists, and 175 steals.

As a field hockey player, she was team captain 2006 through 2008 and was a first-team All-Pennsylvania Athletic Conference selection 2007 and a Colonial States Athletic Conference first-team choice in 2008. Hadzimichalis, who was the Marywood team most valuable player in 2008, was a two-time CSAC Sportsmanship Team selection in field hockey in 2007 and 2008 as well as a Dr. Farr Award recipient for field hockey excellence in 2006 and 2007. Hadzimichalis also made her presence felt on the softball team where she served as team captain in 2007 and 2008 while earning second-team CSAC honors as a senior. Hadzimichalis was a Marywood Pacer Scholar-Athlete Award recipient in 2007-08 and 2008-09, while earning the college's Co-Senior Student-Athlete of the Year award in 2009. Additionally, she was the Colonial States Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009. Danielle Lynch – Penn State Harrisburg, Senior Woman Administrator / Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach / Head Men's and Women's Track & Field Coach
 Danielle Lynch is the first men's and women's track & field and cross country head coach in Penn State Harrisburg history. Under Lynch's leadership, the Lions have reached unparalleled success, as she has helped produce one national champion, six all-Americans, 19 NCAA national qualifiers, two regional athletes of the year, 42 all-region honorees, 24 conference champions, 41 all-conference honorees and eight conference major award winners since the 2015-16 season. Most recently, Lynch was named the 2018-19 CAC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year. During the 2018-19 season, she helped foster one national champion, a regional athlete of the year, three conference athletes of the year and one conference rookie of the year.

Lynch took over at Penn State Harrisburg following an eight-year stint as an assistant at Bucknell where she coached the sprinters, middle distance runners and hurdlers. She coached over 30 Patriot League champions and 20 of her runners hold school records at Bucknell. Several of her student-athletes were also NCAA Regional and Junior National Qualifiers.

Prior to her time at Bucknell, Lynch spent two years as an assistant at West Point. She coached the sprinters and hurdlers, helping the men's team win a pair of Patriot League outdoor championships, as well as an IC4A outdoor title.

Lynch also serves as the senior woman administrator for the department and is a doctoral candidate.
  Megan Mundy – King's College, Athletic Business and Operations Coordinator / Senior Woman Administrator
 Megan Mundy joined the King's College Athletic Department as the Athletic Business & Operations Coordinator /Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) in the summer of 2015. Prior to her role in Athletics, Mundy spent to two years as a College Admissions Counselor and Athletics Liaisons at King's College and was promoted to Assistant Director of Admission before making the switch to join the athletic department full-time. Mundy served as an assistant coach for the field hockey team during 2014 and 2015 seasons and was promoted to the lead assistant coach in 2016. 

Mundy's full-time role is to provide leadership for the daily operations for the 25 varsity athletic teams including: managing and coordinating the organization for the Athletics department's business operations, organizing team travel, ticket operations, game contracts, managing the process of new personnel hiring, and supervising student workers.
 
In 2016, Mundy was one of the 28 Division III Senior Woman Administrator's selected by the NCAA to attend the inaugural NCAA Division III Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) program and NACWAA Rally in Kansas City. Mundy is also the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Advisor.
 
As the top assistant for head coach Martha Kerrick, Mundy assists in all facets of the program including: scheduling, fundraising, serving as the director for all team sponsored camps and clinics, running the team social media accounts, and recruiting.

Mundy is a former top student-athlete at King's, graduating in 2013 with a degree in mass communications. She was inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, the official honor society of the National Communications Association.  Mundy was also a King's Student Government Athletic Liaison and was a member of the College's Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

During her playing days Mundy helped the Monarchs to a 50-27 record and four straight Freedom Conference Tournament berths. She also helped King's earn a spot in the league championship game in the 2009, 2010, and 2012 campaigns. Playing defensive midfield for most of her career, Mundy finished her playing days with 12 points on five goals and two assists. She earned All-Freedom Conference honors in 2012 and was a two-time Middle Atlantic Conference All-Academic selection. Mundy was selected to the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad all four years and was also a recipient of the MAC Sportsmanship Award.
  Jenn Noon – Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham Campus, Director of Athletics
 Jenn Noon became FDU-Florham's fourth Director of Athletics when she assumed the reigns on June 1, 2018.
 
In her first three months, Noon led search committees in hiring five new head coaches Melissa Brooks (Women's Basketball), Jeff Slanovec (Men's Basketball), Jamie Quinn (Baseball), Maura Johnston (Field Hockey) and Keith O'Connor (Men's Soccer). Additionally, she was responsible for restructuring the department, naming Pat Scarpello Associate Director of Athletics of Facilities and Operations and Kristin Giotta Associate Director of Athletics of Compliance.
 
In July 2018, Noon was named the Chair of NCAA Division III Field Hockey, and will serve a two-year term through July 2020. She will help oversee and administer all aspects of the Division III Field Hockey Championship, which will be held at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa.
 
Noon is heavily involved with the NCAA and National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), where she serves on the Regional Ranking Committee for women's golf and field hockey, Coach of the Year Committee, and the All-American Selection Committee. At the 2015 NCAA Convention, she received the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) Transitioning Athletic Administrator Award.
 
Since taking over the FDU field hockey program in 2009, Noon has amassed a 100-77 record. The 100 victories are second in program history, 17 behind FDU-Florham Hall of Famer Hallie Cohen.  Noon has led the field hockey team to a post-season berth in seven of her eight seasons as head coach.  Over the past four seasons, the field hockey has posted identical 15-8 records, winning a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship in 2014 while advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.  Noon's squad accomplished a decorated run, earning the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance -- first since 1986.
 
In addition to coaching field hockey, Noon was the Head Women's Golf Coach from its inception in 2010 until 2018.  Noon guided Jordan Durham 16' to being named MAC Player of the Year, MAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference as a freshman.
 
A standout field hockey player at Rutgers University, Noon was named First Team All-Big East in 2003. She was also a three-time All-Academic player. In 2002, she earned the field hockey team's "Mission Statement Award" and was named to the National Academic Team.  Noon received her Master of Public Administration in 2010. Megan Tustin – Arcadia University, Coordinator of Facilities and Athletics Events
 Megan Tustin is in her third year as Arcadia's coordinator of facilities and athletic events in 2018-19. She was hired in July 2017 through the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant.  The 2019-2020 year marks her first as a full-time staff member.
 
Prior to being named coordinator of athletic facilities and events, she served as a part-time facility assistant, while also serving as an event manager for multiple athletic events.
 
Prior to Arcadia, the Southampton, N.J. native gained experience at Cabrini University where she held numerous positions as a student. Among her positions at Cabrini, she served as an operations intern for the athletic department where she was in charge of managing daily operations and tasks within the athletic facilities. She was also an assistant manager for the Cavaliers' nationally ranked men's lacrosse team.
 
Tustin graduated from Cabrini in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in marketing and minors in sport management and finance. She was a three-year member of the women's swimming team, where she was apart of the first-ever AMCC championship team in 2014 and was team captain for the 2014-2015 season.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Kathy Tierney, Bryn Mawr College, Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation

Kathy Tierney became Bryn Mawr's Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation in July of 2007. Before Bryn Mawr, Tierney spent the previous six years as the Athletic Director at Lebanon Valley.
 
Since she has been on the Main Line, Tierney has helped to transform the Bryn Mawr student-athlete experience. In 2010, the Bern Schwartz Fitness and Athletic Center was completely renovated through the Smart Women, Strong Women initiative and created a 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility for the entire Bryn Mawr College community. Since then, Applebee Field, home to the Bryn Mawr field hockey, lacrosse and soccer teams, moved from a grass playing surface to FieldTurf. Also, in 2011 Applebee Field received a brand new scoreboard.
 
In addition, Tierney helped to create the Friend of Bryn Mawr College Athletics in 2010  to enhance the scholar-athlete and student experience to meet the evolving interests of today's Bryn Mawr College woman.
 
In 2014-15, Tierney led the department through an external review, which provided a blueprint to continue improving the student-athlete experience by building competitiveness, improving recruitment strategies, and increasing the visibility of athletics on and off campus. Tierney has also built a staff that is committed to increasing the competitiveness of our programs without compromising the Bryn Mawr College student-athlete model, which emphasizes the development of student leadership in athletics, academics, and civic engagement.
 
During her tenure at Lebanon Valley, she oversaw the consolidation of all Lebanon Valley student recreation and athletic facilities into one location and the construction of the school's new gymnasium. She's also credited with establishing a stronger presence in community-service activities for student-athletes.
 
On-field accomplishments during Tierney's time at Lebanon Valley include five Commonwealth Conference titles; three teams advancing to the NCAA Division III Championships, with the 2006 field-hockey team reaching the Final Four, and 15 teams appearing in their conference championship games.
 
In addition, Lebanon Valley student-athletes have earned eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America awards and 37 Academic All-District honors.
 
Before becoming the Athletic Director, Tierney was the head field hockey coach for 18 seasons accumulating a career record of 212-113-15 while leading LVC to two final four finishes.
 
Tierney, a graduate of SUNY-Brockport with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Administration, is currently working on her Masters in Administration from West Chester University.
  FUTURE DATES
The MAC Women's Leadership Symposium is held every other academic year. The next MAC WLS will take place in spring 2022.
  PREVIOUS SYMPOSIUMS
April 2018 /// October 2015 /// February 2014
 

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Questions? Contact MAC Assistant Director, Erin Dwyer (dwyer@gomacsports.com).

Please note: any cancellations must be made by contacting Erin Dwyer by October 20th at 11:59 p.m. Cancellations after that date or no shows to the event will be charged a $50 fee.