Natasha Oakes, who has been an assistant to the commissioner with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association since July 2005, has been promoted to the newly-created position of assistant commissioner, MIAA Commissioner Jim Johnson announced Monday (Aug. 11).
Oakes first joined the conference as an intern in 2004 and became assistant to the commissioner for compliance one year later. Internal affairs was added to her title in 2007.
In her new role, Oakes will continue to coordinate rules compliance and rules education within the MIAA and facilitate the National Letter of Intent program. She also will maintain her role as liaison to the MIAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Faculty Athletics Representative Committee.
New responsibilities include assisting with budgeting and financial operations of the conference and assuming a lead administrative role in selected conference championship events.
The promotion comes shortly after she completed two NCAA enhancement programs — the Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (SAMG) program and the Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females.
The SAMG program, which was established in 2000, is designed to create new positions or enhance current positions within athletics departments and conference offices in NCAA Division II for the purpose of enhancing diversity within intercollegiate athletics.
Oakes was not only the recipient of the grant; she also wrote the grant proposal when it was solicited by the MIAA in 2005.
Since the inception of the program in 2000, Division II has invested over $4.9 million in 53 positions in an effort to enhance diversity in Division II. Of these 53 positions, five have been awarded within the MIAA.
The Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females, which is cosponsored by the NCAA Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, was designed to address the critical shortage of senior-level professionals of color in athletics administrative staff at NCAA member institutions and within conference offices.
The Institute prepares diverse leaders through a 12-month leadership training and skills development experience and enhances job-related competencies in selected areas through completion of four professional development sessions, practical work and a week-long intensive workshop.
Each year a limited number of participants are selected from all three divisions. Oakes was one of 18 participants in 2007-08 who graduated from the program on June 26, 2008.
In addition to her promotion, Oakes also was recently named to the new NCAA Division II Committee for Legislative Relief (CLR) and has been invited to serve as a facilitator for the NCAA Division II Leadership Academy.
The CLR, formerly known as the NCAA Division II Management Council Administrative Review Subcommittee, will serve as the final decision-making body for any waiver requests in situations where no other committee, subcommittee or conference has the authority to act.
The committee will identify and consider legislation to address matters related to the constitution and bylaws (e.g. amateurism, financial aid, transfers, recruiting). The committee will also establish policies and procedures to hear waiver requests and may grant or deny relief of legislation after determining whether extenuating circumstances exist.
The NCAA Division II Leadership Academy engages a diverse representation of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and faculty in leadership education to enhance self-awareness and facilitate partnerships that will affect progress on campuses, within conferences, throughout Division II, and beyond the collegiate realm.
In support of the Division II Strategic Plan, the Leadership Academy is a weekend-long opportunity for participants to develop their leadership skills, become more familiar with the Division II experience and plan for action, while being equipped to be active leaders and change agents within their campus, conference and community spheres of influence.
A native of Topeka, Oakes graduated from Emporia State University in May 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.
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Natasha Oakes, who has been an assistant to the commissioner with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association since July 2005, has been promoted to the newly-created position of assistant commissioner, MIAA Commissioner Jim Johnson announced Monday (Aug. 11).
Oakes first joined the conference as an intern in 2004 and became assistant to the commissioner for compliance one year later. Internal affairs was added to her title in 2007.
In her new role, Oakes will continue to coordinate rules compliance and rules education within the MIAA and facilitate the National Letter of Intent program. She also will maintain her role as liaison to the MIAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Faculty Athletics Representative Committee.
New responsibilities include assisting with budgeting and financial operations of the conference and assuming a lead administrative role in selected conference championship events.
The promotion comes shortly after she completed two NCAA enhancement programs — the Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (SAMG) program and the Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females.
The SAMG program, which was established in 2000, is designed to create new positions or enhance current positions within athletics departments and conference offices in NCAA Division II for the purpose of enhancing diversity within intercollegiate athletics.
Oakes was not only the recipient of the grant; she also wrote the grant proposal when it was solicited by the MIAA in 2005.
Since the inception of the program in 2000, Division II has invested over $4.9 million in 53 positions in an effort to enhance diversity in Division II. Of these 53 positions, five have been awarded within the MIAA.
The Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females, which is cosponsored by the NCAA Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, was designed to address the critical shortage of senior-level professionals of color in athletics administrative staff at NCAA member institutions and within conference offices.
The Institute prepares diverse leaders through a 12-month leadership training and skills development experience and enhances job-related competencies in selected areas through completion of four professional development sessions, practical work and a week-long intensive workshop.
Each year a limited number of participants are selected from all three divisions. Oakes was one of 18 participants in 2007-08 who graduated from the program on June 26, 2008.
In addition to her promotion, Oakes also was recently named to the new NCAA Division II Committee for Legislative Relief (CLR) and has been invited to serve as a facilitator for the NCAA Division II Leadership Academy.
The CLR, formerly known as the NCAA Division II Management Council Administrative Review Subcommittee, will serve as the final decision-making body for any waiver requests in situations where no other committee, subcommittee or conference has the authority to act.
The committee will identify and consider legislation to address matters related to the constitution and bylaws (e.g. amateurism, financial aid, transfers, recruiting). The committee will also establish policies and procedures to hear waiver requests and may grant or deny relief of legislation after determining whether extenuating circumstances exist.
The NCAA Division II Leadership Academy engages a diverse representation of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and faculty in leadership education to enhance self-awareness and facilitate partnerships that will affect progress on campuses, within conferences, throughout Division II, and beyond the collegiate realm.
In support of the Division II Strategic Plan, the Leadership Academy is a weekend-long opportunity for participants to develop their leadership skills, become more familiar with the Division II experience and plan for action, while being equipped to be active leaders and change agents within their campus, conference and community spheres of influence.
A native of Topeka, Oakes graduated from Emporia State University in May 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.
