By Drew Wilson/Director of Athletics Communications

“I’m well aware of the shoes that I have to fill. Our previous two presidents are Heather Lyke, the AD at Pitt, and before her was Sandy Barbour, who was the AD at Penn State. Then you have Averett standing on the stage. For me, it was less about me in that moment. It really is about Averett and Division III. There is a weight associated with that.” – Meg Stevens, vice president, director of athletics and campus operations, on becoming the new president of Women Leaders in Sports

As Meg Stevens took the stage as the next president of Women Leaders in Sports, the bright lights were on her. Yet, to Stevens, this crowning achievement was less about her and more about continuing to champion women in sports while representing Averett University and NCAA Division III.

Stevens, in her 11th academic year as Averett’s vice president, director of athletics and campus operations, was passed the torch during the Women Leaders in Sports national convention last week in New Orleans after previously serving as president-elect. To have the opportunity to serve a national organization at the highest level was an emotional moment.

“I think that maybe one of the things that is most humbling and really makes it such an honor,” Stevens said. “I’m well aware of the shoes that I have to fill. Our previous two presidents are Heather Lyke, the AD at Pitt, and before her was Sandy Barbour, who was the AD at Penn State. Then you have Averett standing on the stage. For me, it was less about me in that moment. It really is about Averett and Division III. There is a weight associated with that. Can someone from DIII do it as well?

“For that organization to recognize that there are some tremendous Division III leaders — it’s not just me — and there are a lot of us out there and that we have a voice and an equal voice is a strong statement of what that group represents within Women Leaders in Sports,” Stevens added.

When Women Leaders in Sports CEO Patti Phillips called Stevens to ask if she’d serve as future president, Stevens wanted to say ‘yes’ immediately but knew this decision involved more than just her. She called a number of past presidents to fully understand the magnitude of the role and its responsibilities.

“It actually took me over a week to get back to Patti when she called to ask me if I’d serve as president,” Stevens said. “…The last thing I wanted to do is hurt Averett. I needed to make sure my ducks were in a row here and that I have a great enough leadership team where, yes, I can take on being president but I cannot have Averett — my primary responsibility — suffer at the hands of doing something else that I’m passionate about and gives me passion. I wanted to make sure that my students and my staff here are my primary function. And now I get to do something else that will help Averett. I saw that as a win-win and I wanted to be able to do it right.”

Stevens’ involvement with Women Leaders in Sports began when she was still coaching women’s lacrosse at Buffalo State and the organization was known as National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA). The desire to transition to administration and the networks she built through the organization helped forge her career path and develop the skills needed to succeed in her career. She sees this opportunity to serve as the Women Leaders in Sports president as a way to give back to an organization that has meant so much to her throughout her rise.

“We are fortunate to have a leader of Meg’s caliber step into the role of president for Women Leaders,” Phillips said. “Meg has been involved in our organization for years as a member, speaker, board member and most recently on the executive leadership team, and her influence has been key to our growth and success. We couldn’t be more excited about the next year under Meg’s leadership.”

The honor of being president of Women Leaders in Sports is just the latest national accomplishment for Stevens, who arrived at Averett in 2013. In 2020, Stevens was named the Nike Division III Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in Sports, and in 2021, Stevens was named among NACDA’s 2020-21 Athletics Directors of the Year. Meanwhile, Averett’s Department of Athletics has thrived with numerous championships and awards while expanding sport sponsorship and moving to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

“Meg has transformed athletics at Averett, including infusing a new culture ‘One Team, One Family’ that has permeated throughout the campus,” Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks said. “She has played a significant role in growing community involvement which not only benefits athletics, but the university as a whole — all reinforcing our hometown university brand. She works tirelessly to develop talent in her area and invests passionately by creating opportunities that help others rise, which mirrors the role of what Women Leaders in Sports seeks to do.”

As Stevens took the stage to assume her presidency during the convention, she began with, “My mother always said, ‘Do something you love.’ I loved being a collegiate student-athlete. I loved being a college coach. I love being a Division III director of athletics under an amazing female president. I love coaching coaches and developing young professionals and I love changing students’ lives, but my passion is empowering women. This organization changed my life.”

Although her influence and reach isn’t limited to women, Stevens has embodied the Women Leaders’ mantra of “lift as you rise” especially with women who are beginning careers in athletics.

Emma Olsson, an assistant director of athletics at Averett, has benefited from Stevens’ tutelage. Olsson was a women’s soccer student-athlete when Stevens was hired, and her desire to pursue a career in sports administration continued first as a graduate assistant and director of programming to now as an assistant AD.

“Obviously she’s done that with me since Day 1,” said Olsson, who was at the national convention. “She lifts as she rises. If you want it, she will have an opportunity there for you. She wants to listen and hear what you’re saying. I think what’s most inspiring is that she can be up there with the top leaders in our industry one day and she can come back and be our boss in the way that she runs Averett athletics on the ground level and helping with those tasks that she wants to do because that’s the leader she is.”

Perhaps there is no better example of that than last week. Less than two days after being introduced as the new president of Women Leaders for the next year, Stevens was collecting a list of desired snacks for her administrative game day crew so she could make a run to the store ahead of the Homecoming football and women’s soccer games.

“Women Leaders talks a lot about authenticity and leading with your authentic self and being genuine in the way that you lead,” Olsson said. “I think she is modeling that. … I think that’s really an example of a servant leader. That’s why I appreciate her so much. She isn’t above anybody else.”

Ariyanna Mason, coordinator of events, operations and student-athlete development within Averett athletics, was also in attendance at the Women Leaders convention. Mason said working with Stevens at Averett since June 2022 has been an “invaluable experience” for her as she begins her career in athletics.

“Her valuable insights, constructive feedback and support have helped me navigate challenges and develop new skills,” Mason said. “Meg’s journey, leadership and dedication to college athletics motivates me to strive for excellence and aspire to make a meaningful impact on a larger scale in the world of athletics. As a young professional, having a boss who continues to push herself and take on new roles is impressive. Her leadership at the national level as the president of Women Leaders is truly inspiring and demonstrates the possibilities within our field.”

Her influence has helped others beyond their time at Averett, such as former women’s volleyball graduate assistant coach Hannah Voss, who is now employed by Women Leaders in Sports as the coordinator of national events. Voss, who helped Stevens take the stage at the convention, was introduced to Women Leaders by Stevens while at Averett.

“She was recognized with an award and immediately sparked my interest in the organization,” Voss recalled. “To now be working there a few years later and to have Meg be the incoming president on the board is extremely special. Meg has always been a fierce advocator for all that is right and fair in the world. She also is getting to represent Division III in a capacity that is widely influenced.”

Stevens’ name is on a small list of Women Leaders presidents who have come from the NCAA Division III level. Because it’s so uncommon, Stevens said a number of Division III members came up to her at the convention.

“When you have someone that looks like you or that is from a place that understands small budgets and different philosophical views as it pertains to college sports, I take that very seriously and I want to make sure that I represent Averett and Division III,” Stevens said. “I will always look through that lens, no matter what that role is.”

In addition to providing a voice from Division III, Stevens knows she enters as president during a pivotal time for Women Leaders in Sports. What was once NACWAA and then Women Leaders in College Sports, the organization based out of Kansas City rebranded as Women Leaders In Sports to appeal to a broader membership.

“I want people to know that we didn’t get away from our roots of college sports,” Stevens said. “We want women in college sports obviously. But we want to be advocates for women in sports. We have been watching our industry and people have been leaving to go to the pro side or they were going to go be a high school athletics director, and all of a sudden, they felt like they didn’t belong. Same with women in media. That’s not the idea. We need as many of us as we can get. When you’re in a small population like women in sports, you should be inclusive and not exclusive about how many of those groups can you put around a table.”

Now that the organization has rebranded and evolved, Stevens said reviewing programming for membership is a goal.

“We are good at programming and leadership programming,” Stevens said. “But does all of it work beyond college leaders like for somebody that’s in pro sports or someone who is in AAU? I think we’ve got to figure out what that means.”

Stevens doesn’t have to solve all of that on her own. She’s thankful to have a lot of knowledgeable people to support her on the board.

“I’m really excited because it’s not just me,” Stevens said. “The structure of that executive board is they have a president-elect — Gloria Nevarez, who is commissioner of the Mountain West Conference — who I can learn a great deal from, and our past president is Heather Lyke, who is the AD at Pitt. To be surrounded by that kind of talent and then to work with Patti Phillips, who is the CEO of Women Leaders and a force to be reckoned with, is a great honor. That whole board of directors is strong.”

Stevens also knows her support at Averett is equally as strong. She was honored that Franks, Olsson and Mason were all there at the convention to see her introduced as president.

“Becoming president of Women Leaders in Sports was a significant achievement in Meg’s career, and I wanted to be there to celebrate her, support her and share in such a joyous time,” said Franks, who is in her 16th academic year as Averett’s president. “I’m also passionate about the mission and impact of Women Leaders in Sports and believe it’s important to support this organization and hopefully help show what’s possible for other women the way so many others have done for me.”

Having their support in person, in addition to all of the other messages she received from those who couldn’t attend, was extremely meaningful for Stevens.

“Everyone asks, ‘Why do you stay?’ A lot of it is who you work for,” Stevens said. “Dr. Franks proved a lot of the reason why I’ve chosen to stay. I love Averett. I get to work for an incredible president, and then it’s who works for you. I happened to have Emma and Ariyanna there, but I’ve hired basically all of our staff into their current positions. We’ve built something really different and really special. To be able to show that on a national stage that it isn’t just me. It’s showing ‘lift as you rise’ and bringing up young women, but at the same time having a female president that’s been at a place for now 16 years and a female AD that’s now been here 10 years … for others to see that, it helps put Averett on the map.”

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