CLEVELAND - The National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) has announced the recipients of this year's NADIIIAA Athletics Administrator Awards. The following individuals are the 2023 award recipients and will receive a $1,000 professional development grant.  

• Emerging Athletic Administrator Award - presented to a professional with seven or fewer years of cumulative experience as a titled athletics administrator at the Division III level. 
  • Amber Thomas, Centennial Conference
     
• Transitioning Athletic Administrator Award - presented to a professional who transitioned from coaching or other professional duties to athletics administration with seven or fewer years of cumulative experience as a titled athletics administrator at the Division III level.
  • Lindsey Kellar, Illinois Wesleyan

Amber Thomas is in her third year as the coordinator of sports administration and championships and the athletics diversity & inclusion designee (ADID) at the Centennial Conference. She is actively involved in all aspects of conference operations with an emphasis on communications, and social media, assisting with the running of the 24 conference championships, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, initiatives, and policies. Prior to joining the Centennial, Thomas spent three years as the assistant director of sports information at Hiram College. In her role with the Terriers, she helped manage communications and event management efforts surrounding Hiram's 18 varsity sports. In addition, she also served as the co-advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and program assistant in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Thomas received her bachelor's degree in public relations from Capital University, before earning her master's degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in leadership and education from Hiram College. For complete bio information, please click here.

Dr. Lindsey Kellar, who served as the program's first-ever women's lacrosse coach at Illinois Wesleyan University, is in her second year as assistant AD for student-athlete wellness. She is also the interim associate director of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. Kellar leads the athletics department's mental health initiatives, including the development of a Mental Health Action plan, an athletics Care Team, and the implementation of year-round programming. Through the Titan Mindset series, which are sports psychology-based sessions, she focuses on enhancing mental performance skills of IWU student-athletes. Kellar also works to drive department-wide participation in Green Dot training, NCAA DISC assessment programming, and monthly staff sports psychology sessions. Kellar, who also teaches classes in psychology at Illinois Wesleyan, graduated from Siena College in 2009. She earned her doctorate in educational psychology at the University at Albany in 2014 and more recently completed a certificate in sport psychology in 2021. Click here to see complete bio information.

All award winners will be recognized during the Association Business Meeting at the NADIIIAA Summer Forum, held at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando on Monday, June 12.

About NADIIIAA: NADIIIAA is comprised of athletics administrators from over 360 institutions and conferences competing at the NCAA Division III level. The Association encourages the continued development of athletics programs focused on the student-athlete and based on sound educational principles and the Division III philosophy. NADIIIAA is administered by NACDA, which is in its 58^th year. For more information on NACDA, the 18 professional associations and/or four foundations it manages, please visit www.nacda.com.