University of Tennessee Athletics
Steward Selected for SEC Opportunity Forum
August 17, 2023 | General
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -Â The Southeastern Conference announced its second SEC Opportunity Forum cohort Thursday, as athletic administrators from all 14 member universities will engage in professional development training throughout the academic year.
Tennessee's representative in this year's SEC Opportunity Forum class is Senior Associate Athletics Director & Associate Provost Marshall Steward. The sport administrator for UT's rowing program while sharing sport admin duties for women's basketball, Steward also oversees operations at the Thornton Academic Student Life Center and has a voice on the university's academic affairs team.
"Marshall Steward is a leader who strives to make a positive difference every day," Deputy Athletics Director of Competitive Excellence Cameron Walker said. "We are excited for him to further his development through this impactful initiative."
The SEC Opportunity Forum is designed to connect mid to senior level administrators in the Conference from historically underrepresented groups with industry leaders and assist them with advancement in the profession.
"The Southeastern Conference remains committed to the success of our institutional partners," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. "We join our member institutions in the quest to help prepare leaders in the field of athletics, and this program helps prepare the next generation of leaders to assume critical roles within athletic administration."
The SEC Opportunity Forum is one result of SEC Bylaw 23, a Conference rule adopted by the SEC Presidents and Chancellors in 2021 to encourage, facilitate and assist member institutions in attracting, hiring and retaining individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the leadership of athletics departments, particularly in the roles of athletics director, head coach and senior woman administrator and in positions that typically lead to those roles.
The four-part series of engagements for the new class will include in-person sessions at the SEC Office in Birmingham, the SEC Football Championship in Atlanta, the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament in Nashville and the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin.
The complete 2023-24 SEC Opportunity Forum cohort includes: Whitney Hughes, Assistant Athletic Director for Tide Pride Annual Giving (Alabama); Felecia Saine, Associate Athletics Director for Academic Success and Student-Athlete Development (Arkansas); Richard Greene, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration (Auburn); Lindsey Thomas, Associate Athletics Director for Operations and Facilities (Florida); Dr. Courtney Gay, Assistant Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Georgia); Tiffany Massey, Associate Athletics Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Kentucky); Dr. D.F. Arnold, Assistant Athletics Director/Director of Football Player Development (LSU); Neal Mead, Associate Athletics Director for Event Management (Ole Miss); Christine Jackson, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services and Executive Director of Athletic Academics (Mississippi State); Will Kava, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Governance (Missouri); Maria Hickman, Executive Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator/Chief Diversity Officer (South Carolina); Marshall Steward, Senior Associate Athletics Director and Associate Provost (Tennessee); Dr. Sheri Walters, Assistant Athletics Director/Director of Physical Therapy and Olympic Sports Athletic Training (Texas A&M); and Dr. Earl Bennett, Executive Director of Player Development and Administration for Football (Vanderbilt).
