JACKSON, Miss. - The 2023 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference Summer Meeting is set to kick off this Wednesday and Thursday, June 7-8 at Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Heindl Performing Arts Center and the David M. Haraway Center on the campus of Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. The summer meeting is the annual gathering of the MACCC’s athletic directors, head coaches, sports information directors, financial aid directors and marketing personnel.

“The summer meetings are important opportunities for feedback and feedforward for the conference as we continue our growth and expansion,” said MACCC Commissioner Steve B. Martin. “Not only that, but the summer meeting is one of the only times we are able to come together, fellowship and celebrate the accomplishments of our athletic directors, coaches, student-athletes and support staff.”

As the conference seeks to expand its regional and national footprint, this is the first year that the summer meeting will take place over two days. Sessions focus on the enterprise aspects of intercollegiate athletes, including sports marketing, sponsorships, crisis management, measurement and evaluation and fan engagement. The summer meeting also includes an orientation session for first- and second-year coaches, as well as sports committee meetings. This year’s meeting will also have a student-athlete advisory committee forum to close out the first day of sessions.

Dr. Christopher Parker will serve as keynote for the conference’s opening general session. Parker serves as president and chief executive officer of the NJCAA, a role he assumed in 2017. The NJCAA is the second largest intercollegiate athletic association, and has more than 500 member schools. 

Todd Rath, a business strategy specialist with Blue Hen, will serve as lunch keynote speaker for the first day of meetings. Rath has over 31 years of utility experience with Southern Company, where he focused on strategic planning and innovation in electrification, customer experience, electric transportation, demand side management, and distributed energy. As part of the Blue Hen team, Todd applies his marketing and business knowledge to help teams overcome challenges and build better organizational decision-making processes and strategies. His business expertise and people skills make him the ideal ally for companies seeking growth in critical moments.

Other speakers include Mississippi State Associate Athletic Director for Fan Experience Connor Whelan, who oversees the fan experience, marketing and outbound ticket sales efforts for the Bulldogs, as well as Lynette Johnson, who serves as deputy athletic director for sports and administration at Ole Miss. Johnson serves as the sports administrator for nine programs at Ole Miss. Working with up to 16 of the department's 18 programs, Johnson's teams combined for 17 SEC Western Division championships and nine overall regular-season or tournament titles.

Commissioner Martin, who assumed the role in 2019, will deliver a “State of the MACCC” address on the second day of the conference.

The 2023 gathering is the third league-wide summer meeting in conference history. The inaugural meeting, held in 2021, took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jackson, Miss. 

About the MACCC

The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC)  is one of the premier community college conferences in the country and ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of alumni on professional sports teams. 

Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer and tennis.  

Women's competition is offered in the sports of basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. 

Follow the MACCC

For complete coverage of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference, please follow the MACCC on social media at @MACCCAthletics (Twitter), @MACCCAthletics (Facebook), and @MACCCAthletics (Instagram) or visit the official website,  www.MACCCAthletics.com.