CLEVELAND - The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) has announced its 2023 award winners: 

• Frank Kara Leadership Award – Molly Sullivan, Butler 

• Rising Star Award – Alexis Anderson, Miles; and Delaney Reilly, Utah

• Division II Excellence Award – Kit Alewine, Conference Carolinas; and Jason Sobolik, Minnesota State, Moorhead 

The award winners will be recognized in person during the 2023 NAAC Convention taking place at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

"On behalf of the NAAC Board and Awards Committee, congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated these deserving individuals," stated Membership and Awards Committee Chair and Senior Associate AD for Compliance at Northwestern University, Kristina Minor. "We are excited to honor these professionals in front of their peers during the 2023 Convention." 

The Frank Kara Leadership Award is NAAC's premier award. It is the highest honor that may be bestowed upon compliance professionals. This award, given annually, is named in honor of the former University of Minnesota Director of Compliance Frank Kara, who was a leader in the compliance field and best known for hosting the inaugural NAAC Workshop in 2006. Sadly, Kara lost his battle with cancer at the age of 40. 

Molly Sullivan has served as associate AD for administration/SWA at Butler University since 2013. In her current role, she oversees HR, compliance, and academics while serving as sport administrator for 11 of the Bulldog programs. Additionally, she works closely with several campus units including serving as Title IX Deputy Coordinator and is a member of the NCAA Legislative Committee and Modernization of Rules Subcommittee. Sullivan's return to Butler followed a stint as assistant AD for compliance and student development at Loyola University Chicago.  She had responsibility for all aspects of the school's NCAA compliance program, including rules education and eligibility, and was chair of the Horizon League Compliance Coordinators Group. Prior to Loyola, Sullivan held positions at both UIC and Fordham and was an intern at the Horizon League. She holds a degree in marketing from Butler and a master's in education from UIC. She and her husband, Shawn, have four children: Liam, Quinn, Mary Kate and James. 

The Rising Star Award recognizes young compliance professionals who are emerging leaders within the compliance profession. 

Alexis Anderson joined Miles College athletics in April 2023 as the senior associate AD for compliance/ SWA. Before joining Miles, Anderson served as the associate AD for compliance at Livingstone College, while also serving as the VP for the CIAA compliance administrators.  Anderson was responsible for ensuring compliance for 15 NCAA Division II programs, CIAA and Livingstone College standards. Prior to Livingstone, Anderson served as the compliance coordinator at Grambling State University (GSU). Before her full-time administrative appointment within the Grambling State athletics department, Anderson served as a graduate assistant for compliance, while simultaneously pursuing her master's degree in sports administration. She served as a member of the Sports Leadership Association. At GSU, Anderson assisted with day-to-day operations including initial eligibility, amateurism, the NLI program, compliance education, and served as a student-athlete advisory committee advisor. Anderson graduated from Allen University and holds professional membership in NAAC. 

Delaney Reilly has been in her role as the director for compliance at the University of Utah since April 2022.  In her current role, Reilly is responsible for developing Utah's comprehensive rules education program, while she also led the implementation of ARMS into Utah's athletics department.  She is also the compliance liaison to the women's basketball, women's track and field, men's and women's skiing and women's volleyball programs.  Reilly arrived at Utah after spending a year at Auburn University as director for compliance. Prior to her time at Auburn, she spent two years as compliance coordinator at the University of Florida.  Reilly is actively involved in NAAC, currently serving as a member of the Advancement Committee.  She is a two-time graduate of Florida where she was a diving student-athlete and team captain. 

The Division II Excellence Award is a prestigious annual award given to a compliance professional who is a leader in the compliance field at the Division II level. 

Claude "Kit" Alewine has been the associate commissioner at Conference Carolinas since 2019. He oversees the administration of all 26 conference-sponsored sports and is the primary liaison for NCAA compliance and conference governance. Alewine is co-chair of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Compliance Administrators. He previously served as the assistant commissioner for compliance at the Mountain West Conference (2016-19) and was at Troy University as the director of compliance (2007-14) before being promoted to assistant director of athletics for compliance in 2014. Alewine began his compliance career in 2005 at Francis Marion University as the compliance coordinator before being promoted to assistant director of athletics for compliance and academic support in 2006. Alewine earned his B.A. from Coker College (now University) in 2002 while competing in tennis and cross country. He earned his M.S. from Capella University in 2005. 

Jason Sobolik has served as the assistant athletics director for compliance and student services at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) since 2009 while also serving as the assistant women's basketball coach (2003-09). In 2012 he was named the first full-time compliance coordinator at MSUM. Sobolik currently serves on the NAAC Division II Committee as well as the NAAC DII Reasonable Standards Committee in addition to serving on the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions. His work on the NAAC Division II Committee assisted in the creation of the NAAC DII Community page as a place for DII compliance professionals to share documents and rules education presentations. 

About NAAC: NAAC serves as the professional and educational association of compliance administrators. For more information on NAAC, please visit www.naaccompliance.com. NAAC is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 58th year. For more information on NACDA, the 18 professional associations, and/or four foundations it manages, please visit www.nacda.com.