Five MAAC Administrators Selected to Attend TopConnect AD

10/15/2020 11:27:08 AM

EDISON, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2020) - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is proud to announce five senior administrators have been selected to attend TopConnect AD, a leadership symposium for aspiring Division-I Athletics Directors; Jessica Grasso, Deputy Commissioner at the MAAC; Greg Busch, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance & Internal Operations at Rider University; Stephen Butler, Deputy Director of Athletics/ Chief Operating Officer at Niagara University; Zach Dayton, Deputy Director of Athletics at Fairfield University; and Brandon James, Assistant Athletic Director/ Business Operations at Marist College.

"The MAAC acknowledges these five individuals as rising leaders in our conference and are proud of their accomplishments to be selected for such a prestigious program," said Rich Ensor, Commissioner of the MAAC. "In these challenging times the need to continue training the next generation of athletic administrators is important. I'm particularly pleased to see MAAC Deputy Commissioner Jess Grasso in the TopConnect AD program. Jess leads many of the working groups within the MAAC that are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and is instrumental in the continued successful operation of the conference."

MAAC Deputy Commissioner Jess Grasso added "This is a fantastic opportunity that I look forward to sharing with my fellow colleagues in its initial year and to bring back what is learned to the membership."

The inaugural symposium hosted by TopConnect, a subsidiary of Connected Media, LLC,
will be held virtually on October 15^th and 16^th. The line-up of experienced Athletics Directors to speak at TopConnect AD includes DeLoss Dodds, Craig Littlepage, and Debbie Yow. In addition, attendees will interact with industry search firms including, CarrSports Consulting, College Sports Solutions, Collegiate Sports Associates, and Parker Executive Search.

An exclusive feature of TopConnect AD is the invitation only roundtable discussions. Attendees will be divided into small groups and will participate in four interactive sessions between current and former Athletic Directors and search firm representatives allowing attendees to connect and network with industry leaders.

TopConnect AD is designed for senior level athletics administrators who are committed to taking the next step in their careers. Attendees will benefit from panels of long-time Athletics Directors, current Presidents of Division-I institutions, search firm leadership, and recently hired Athletics Directors. For a complete list of sessions and panelists, please visit our website at http://topconnectleaders.com/ad.html.

TopConnect has revolutionized the connections within the world of collegiate athletics by connecting future leaders with current leaders through an educational forum. Initially launched over fifteen years ago as Villa 7, the TopConnect program has evolved into a valuable resource for coaches, athletics administrators, and other industry leaders. The three-word mantra of "Connect. Prepare. Lead." identifies the purpose of TopConnect.

TopConnect works in conjunction with East Tennessee State University's Doctoral Program in Global Sport Leadership. For questions or more information, please email Dr. Richard Sander at sander@etsu.edu or Kay Lennon-McGrew at lennonk@etsu.edu. TopConnect is on all social media platforms @TopConnectLead.

About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40^th year of competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.