NJCAA announces 2026-27 Committee Chairs and Committee Assignments
Charlotte, NC — The NJCAA has announced the 2026-27 Committee Chairs for the 44 committees that were selected by Board Chair Troy Tucker, Board Vice Chair Kerri Ann McTiernan, Men's Administrator Dean Myrick, and Women's Administrator Mary Young. Each chair serves as a direct contact and liaison for the committee and the NJCAA National Office staff, while also heading their committee all year.
With the academic year approaching, chairs are preparing to lead weekly calls, conduct national rankings, and assist with postseason at-large and seeding selections, and All-America selections. In addition to these roles, chairs complete committee-related assignments and annual NJCAA Convention tasks. In most cases, chairs will attend their respective national championship(s).
New committee chairs on the women's side include Joe Kosina, Athletic Director at SUNY Suffolk (NY) and Region 15 Women's Director who will serve as a first-time chair in Division III Women's Soccer while Genesee (NY) Athletic Director and Region 3 Women's Director, Kristen Schuth will assist as vice chair. Beach Volleyball will see Richard Bland's Director of Athletics, Scott Newton serving as chair while Region 9's Marci Henry will serve as vice chair. Region 12 Women's Director and Lakeland (OH) Director of Athletics, Scott Barlow will serve as chair for Division III Volleyball and Dallas College - Eastfield Athletic Director Anthony Fletcher will assist as vice chair. Division III Women's Basketball will have Hostos (NY) Athletic Director, Brent Wilson will serve as chair while Region 13 Women's Assistant Director and Minnesota West Women's Athletic Director, Rosalie Hayenga-Hostikka will serve as vice chair.
New committee chairs on the men's side include Nate Gamet, Athletic Director at North Central Missouri who will serve as chair of the Division II Men's Basketball Committee. Gamet will be assisted by Brac Brady, Reid State (AL) Athletic Director. Division II Men's Golf will have a former chair return with Region 12 Board of Regent Member, Dale Vos serving in this role while being assisted by Region 23 Women's Director and Meridian (MS) Athletic Director, Sander Atkinson as vice chair. Division III Football will also see a former chair return in Region 3 Men's Assistant Director and Erie (NY) Director of Athletics, Steve Mullen while College of DuPage Director of Athletics, Ryan Kaiser will serve as vice chair. Division I Men's Soccer will have Miami Dade Director of Athletics, Mike Balado as chair and Region 18 Men's Assistant Director and Turkee Meadows Athletic Director, Geoff Hawkins will assist as vice chair. Division III Men's Soccer will see Region 5 Women's Assistant Director and Dallas College Executive Director of Athletics, Lynn Nabi serve as chair while Mohawk Valley Director of Athletics, Dom Dimaggio will serve as vice chair.
For the joint committees, Tennis will have a new chair with USC Sumter Director of Athletics, Age Cataldo taking over while RCSJ-Gloucester Director of Athletics, Brian Rowan will assist as vice chair. Wrestling will see a new chair in Region 18 Women's Director and North Idaho Director of Athletics, Shawn Noel while former chair Marci Henry will serve as vice chair. Division III Golf will have College of DuPage Assistant Athletic Director, Rich Dawkins serving as chair and Sandhills Associate Athletic Director, Ryan Riggan assisting as vice chair.
Region 9 Board of Regents member, Marci Henry will chair the newly created Membership Committee that will review the overall membership of the NJCAA including new member processes and procedures and evaluation of current member status within the organization with Region 24 Board of Regents Member Ron Riggle serving as vice chair. Region 20 Board of Regents member, Jo Ann Rogers Todaro will chair Tiered Sanctions with Shawn Noel serving as vice chair.
This year's cohort of NJCAA Aspiring Leaders program will have the opportunity to spend the year observing committee meetings to help expand their knowledge base of governance within the NJCAA. The following 8 aspiring leaders will be a part of the 2026-27 committees: Cole Higgins (Southwestern) on Division II Men's Basketball, Larry Merritt (Bunker Hill) on Division III Men's Basketball, Trevor Chintala (Northeastern) on Division I Baseball, Madelyn Woods (Dyersburg State) on Beach Volleyball, Mallory Stonebraker (Hocking) on Eligibility, Hailey Lotz (Pensacola State) and Jeremy Winzer (National Park) on Championships/Alignment, Tim Sandquist (Kirkwood) and Brooks Warren (East Central) on Sports Governance, and Anthony Franklin (Cuyahoga) on Tiered Sanctions.
For a full list of all committees, click here.