GNAC Recognized by NCAA for Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

Although the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is small, relatively new and a part of Division III, that hasn't stopped it from doing big things when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

 In fact, those things were so big this past year that the conference was included in the NCAA Inclusion Best Practices Document alongside the likes of the University of Oklahoma and the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The conference was also nominated for the 2013 NCAA/MOAA Award for Diversity and Inclusion, which was eventually awarded to the North Coast Athletic Conference. In addition, the GNAC was mentioned in the Diversity and Gender Equity Best Practices Guide developed by the NCAA.

The GNAC, headed by Commissioner Joe Walsh, makes a concerted effort to promote inclusion and diversity through many of its programs and initiatives.

 One such program is the Assistant to the Commissioner Internship, which has been funded by the NCAA Ethnic Minority and/or Women's Intern grant for the last three years.

This position aims to give the recipient hands on experience in the field of athletics administration and serves as a one-of-a-kind networking opportunity for the intern to connect with administrators in the conference, at the 14 GNAC schools and beyond.

A large part of the success of this internship, according to Vaughn Calhoun, who had the position in 2009-10 and is now a Sports Management Professor at Anna Maria College, comes from the role Commissioner Walsh plays.

"He treated you like a valued colleague," Calhoun said. "He asked for your opinions and feedback. He made sure you were a part of the process and not an idle bystander. He gave me numerous projects that had real world implications that allowed me to immerse myself in the field of intercollegiate athletics."

Calhoun is not alone in these sentiments as Jessica Huntley, who also held the position from 2007-09 and has since become the Assistant Executive Director at the Centennial Conference, concurs and sees great value in the program.

"In a field like college athletics, it's all about getting experience and the best way to get that is by doing an internship," Huntley said. "We were given the ability to attend various professional development opportunities. I still stay in touch with many of the people I met. They are the ones I look to for career advice and guidance on decisions. "

 Another push to emphasize inclusion that the GNAC made was the Female Officiating Initiative, created to help recent female GNAC graduates break into the realm of basketball refereeing.

For Ashley Mayerjack, who played basketball at Fitchburg State, it was an opportunity she hadn't considered before receiving an e-mail from Commissioner Walsh about the program.

"I had always thought about coaching," Mayerjack said. "Even if I wanted to coach it would be good to take the course so I would know what I was talking about. I figured nothing bad could come out of it."

Mayerjack also saw officiating as a way to stay connected to the game. Kara Hinthorne, who played at Lasell College and also matriculated through the program, feels the same way and believes initiatives like this will show others how to continue with the sports they love after graduation.

"If you reach out to women, especially at the DIII level, they all know the rules, if you reach out to them they'd be interested," Hinthorne said. "I think a lot of people playing, and aren't going to the WNBA, I think a lot of the them still want to be part of the game."

Spreading the word is one of the key things that this program did for Mayerjack, Hinthorne and the other participants who might not have known how to get into officiating otherwise.

"Just being at the gym, I have had other females coming up to me asking me how to become a referee," Mayerjack said. "It's tough to know who to even ask about it. Having the program even exist at all kind of guides you to it which is nice."

The program, which was a one-time initiative, did create a lasting impact by forming a pipeline between the GNAC and the Eastern Massachusetts Basketball Officials Association, according to Dan Picard, the ECAC coordinator of officials who trained and certified the participants.

"Anybody who has interest can attend our clinic in November of each year," Picard said. "We have some come that way, [through referrals.]"

Beyond the connection to the game, Hinthorne has seen benefits from her time as an official in her other job as a substitute teacher.

"When there's an argument between the kids it's easier to say, 'let's calm down and look at things the way they should be looked at,'" Hinthorne said. "It kind of makes me a better person because you always have to deal with conflict. You have to be able to work with that person."

It also creates an opportunity to see the game from a new perspective and understand where officials are coming from.

"You can sit there and watch a game from the stands and make every call you think should be made but being on the other side you learn about game management and how to make calls that go with the flow of the game," Mayerjack said. "It's a lot harder than I would have thought. Being a referee completely changes how I talk. It's a whole different game."

Now, three years removed from the classroom, Mayerjack is refereeing almost every day during the high school season. Her goal is to move up to the varsity circuit then on to college and beyond if possible.

Hinthorne would also like to reach the college level and referees summer leagues now.

Current student-athletes benefit from the push for diversity as well, as the GNAC actively encourages female and ethnic minority student-athletes to attend the annual NCAA Leadership Forum.

The convention brings together student-athletes from all over the country, competing in different sports and at different levels to discuss their experiences, leadership methods and much more.

This past year the GNAC sent several students and professionals to the convention which was held in Providence.

Among those students was Jhonneris Mendez, a pitcher for the Suffolk baseball team. Without the encouragement of the GNAC he does not think he would have ended up at the forum, which has had an influence on his post-graduation plans.

"I didn't even know the convention existed before this program," Mendez said. "I am very thankful that I got the opportunity to attend the convention and because of it I have gained a huge interest in starting an athletic administrator career."

Mendez formed a quick bond with fellow Hispanic-American student-athlete Elvis Santana, a tennis player at Albertus Magnus and the president of the GNAC SAAC program, at the forum.

"We both gained an experience worth expressing to others, but I believe it to be more impactful for us, being two of the few Hispanics who had such an opportunity," Santana said. "It is worth telling others who wish to help build a community and work together as a conference."

There is a great amount of pride that many of the student-athletes feel for their conference because of the inclusive initiatives Commissioner Walsh has implemented. Francesca Mastria, a defender on the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) women's lacrosse team, who was at the leadership forum feels that pride

"With the GNAC channeling its efforts towards making diversity and inclusion a top priority, it makes me feel, as a female, more accepted within the conference," Mastria said. "I have great joy in being a part of this conference."

Because of Commissioner Walsh's reputation and the tangible efforts the GNAC has made, there was not much surprise that the conference was making a name for itself in this area.

"I truly believe we have the right commissioner in place who understands the importance of diversity and inclusion," Emmanuel Head Basketball Coach Jamahl Jackson said.

"The GNAC is dedicated to inclusion and diversity," Huntley said. "That was one of the first things [Commissioner] Joe [Walsh] talked about when I took the job and each of the institutions has embraced this vision as well."

"[Commissioner] Joe [Walsh] has always been a go-getter," Picard said. "So to roll up his sleeves in something like this and put things together, that's why he is a great commissioner."

Commissioner Walsh's commitment to diversity comes from the administration, the coaches, the players and the institutions themselves.

"We go from Suffolk, a city school, to Rivier, a suburban school and all the way up to Norwich, a military school," Mendez said. "We come together on the field as one and represent a very diverse group."

With Commissioner Walsh at the helm, the conference should continue to grow and expand by empowering a diverse group of young minds to see what they can really do and reach for what they may have thought they couldn't accomplish.

"What people need most is an opportunity and with that opportunity great things are possible," Calhoun said. "I believe the GNAC is leading the way by example, which is a sure way to spread the concept and value that inclusion can bring."

*Written by GNAC Communications Specialist, Eddie Lockhart

Photograph taken in San Diego, Calif. at the 2014 NCAA convention. Pictured are GNAC Student-athletes in attendance.