Springfield College Hosts Athletic Administration Leadership Series for Fall 2021

This event took place in two parts. Part one featured a moderated panel with all guest speakers discussing their pathway and perspective on leadership in sports. Part two consisted of breakout sessions where attendees had the opportunity to connect and converse with each panelist in a more close-knit group.

Launched in the spring of 2011, the Athletic Administration Leadership Series is held each semester and alternates a focus between high school and intercollegiate athletics.

Panelists for the 2021 fall semester event:

Emily Kelly

Director of Student-Athlete Development, University of Massachusetts

Emily Kelly recently joined the University of Massachusetts community as director of student-athlete development in November. Prior to her new role, Kelly developed, coordinated, and facilitated student-athlete leadership development programming at Amherst College through Amherst LEADS. She has led diversity, equity, and inclusion training for Amherst coaches and administrators. Prior to this work, Kelly served as a college soccer coach and earned her master’s degree in sport leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. Before beginning her career in sports, Kelly was an accomplished goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team at the University of Richmond.

Joel Dearing

Owner, Dearing Leadership LLC

Joel “Coach D” Dearing coached women’s and men’s collegiate volleyball for 40 seasons, including coaching at Springfield College from 1989-2010. Dearing held a career record of 899-384, coached 10 All-American student-athletes, and his Springfield men’s team finished the 1996 season number one and undefeated in NCAA Division III. He was selected to the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. Following his retirement as the Springfield College head women’s volleyball coach in 2010, he remained a member of the College faculty, serving as the program director for the athletic administration graduate program. He retired from Springfield College in 2020, and currently serves as an athletics/sports consultant through his company, Dearing Leadership LLC.

Ashley Reves Meganck ’06

Director of Corporate Sales, Pegula Sports & Entertainment

Ashley Reves Meganck is the director of corporate sales for Pegula Sports & Entertainment, which manages several professional sports teams, including the Buffalo Bills. She graduated from Springfield College with a degree in sport management and a minor in business management in 2006. During her time at Springfield College, Reves Meganck also was an accomplished student-athlete on the women’s volleyball team. Recently, she was awarded the 2021 Young Alumna Award by the College.

Robert Baldwin ’84

Executive Director, Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association

Robert Baldwin is the executive director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Baldwin has served as the superintendent of the Fairhaven Public Schools for the past 16 years, and was named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year for 2021 by the American Association of School Administrators. Baldwin began his career as a physical education teacher and youth sports coach. He received his Bachelor of Arts in secondary physical education at Springfield College, where he also played baseball. He continued his education at the University of Maryland, where he earned his Master of Arts in athletic administration and Doctor of Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University.