CLEVELAND - The National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) has announced its 2025 award winners who will be recognized in person during the 2025 NAAC Convention taking place at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, FL, June 8-11. The following individuals will be honored:
 

• Frank Kara Leadership Award – Kevin Kendrick, Florida International University (FIU)
• Rising Star Award –Marisa Brisbane, University of Maryland; and Dionne McCollum, Claflin University
• Emerging Leader Award – Will Aloia, University of Connecticut (UConn); and Becky Clark, Eckerd College
• Small Office Award – Arkansas State University, Division I, Sun Belt Conference  
• Division II Excellence Award – Joseph Arnold, Clark Atlanta University

"We are thrilled to honor this year's outstanding slate of NAAC Award winners! Their commitment and impact have truly elevated our profession, and we can't wait to celebrate their achievements at the 2025 NAAC Convention," said Hannah Delph, membership and swards committee chair and assistant AD for compliance at USF. "The NAAC Board and Awards Committee also extend our heartfelt thanks to the membership for submitting such thoughtful and deserving nominations."

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. 

• Dr. Kevin D. Kendrick began his tenure at FIU in January 2020 as the associate athletics director for compliance and was elevated to senior associate athletics director in November 2021. Kendrick has over 15 years of leadership experience across compliance, fundraising, strategic planning and sport administration. In his role at FIU, he drives organizational success by cultivating strong relationships with donors, alumni, and corporate partners, while championing the academic and athletic success of student-athletes. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kendrick is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of compliance professionals. He played an active role with the Athletic Compliance Elite (ACE) Class of 2018 and has served on several NAAC committees, consistently striving to elevate his peers and promote compliance excellence across the field. As a positive role model, he is committed to contributing to the continued growth and success of collegiate athletics.

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

• Marisa Brisbane was promoted to director of compliance in September 2024, after serving as the assistant director at Maryland since May 2022. Brisbane currently manages all compliance responsibilities for women's basketball, wrestling, women's soccer, women's gymnastics, field hockey, women's tennis, men's and women's golf. Prior to her current position, Brisbane worked as the athletics compliance officer at George Washington University and served as a postgraduate intern in the NCAA Eligibility Center. Brisbane earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from York College of Pennsylvania and her master's degree in sport business with a concentration in athletic administration from Temple University. Brisbane was recently honored by Temple as one of its 30 Under 30 awardees. Brisbane serves on the NAAC Board and is chair of the NAAC Education Committee.
• Dionne McCollum is in her third year as the Associate AD/Director of Compliance at Claflin University. While fostering an environment for continuous learning for coaches and staff through compliance rules and education sessions, McCollum also expands her capacity for sports supervision and management. She fosters a student-athlete first mentality and oversees the Academic Enhancement Plan, which supports a balance between athletics and academics, ensuring that all student-athletes excel both on the field and in the classroom. McCollum came to Claflin after having served as AD at a two-year institution, Delta College; serving as the Associate AD for the District of Columbia Public Schools; and walking the sidelines as a women's basketball coach at three levels, NCAA DII, NAIA and NJCAA. Nationally, McCollum serves on three NAAC committees and helps lead the Women Leaders in Sports Small College Athletics Circle.

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes and celebrates compliance professionals with 6-10 years of experience who are emerging leaders within the compliance profession. 

• Will Aloia joined the UConn compliance staff in October 2021, after previously serving at Seton Hall, Manhattan College and College of St. Rose. Aloia prides himself to think creatively, efficiently and staying up-to-date on the ever changing NCAA legislation. Prior to UConn, Aloia hadn't worked with a football program, but took the initiative to study and learn all football legislation to become the most polished and trusted compliance administrator the football staff has worked with. While at Seton Hall, he served as the primary liaison with the academic support services for Student-Athletes Office, Office of Financial Aid, Office of the Registrar, Office of the Bursar, Office of Admissions and Faculty Athletics Representative and also acted as a University Advisor to students who filed complaints under Title IX and students who are accused of sexual misconduct. A former Husky himself, Aloia currently serves on the NAAC Education Committee
• Becky Clark joined the Eckerd staff in August 2019 as the internal operations coordinator before being promoted to assistant athletic director of internal operations in August 2021, where she was also named Eckerd's SWA. In March 2024, Clark was elevated to her current position, associate AD, internal operations and compliance/SWA. She also serves on the department's senior management team, running the compliance and business operations elements, and overseeing student-athlete well-being, development, leadership and resources, and serves as the Title IX coordinator. This year, Clark spearheaded the Triton Together Peer Mentoring Program, pairing student-athletes together to acclimate new students in college and provide leadership opportunities to upperclassmen. She also serves as the staff advisor for SAAC and, nationally, serves on the NCAA Women's Basketball South Region Advisory Committee, NCAA DII Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Selection Committee, and Eligibility Center's Division II Advisory Group. In 2024, Clark was selected to the NCAA's Pathway Program, one of just 21 administrators across all three divisions in the cohort.

The Small Compliance Office Award is awarded to one compliance office staff annually consisting of no more than 1-3 full or part-time compliance officers (including graduate assistants). This staff demonstrates an outstanding level of commitment and dedication to the industry by doing a lot with a little. 

• The Arkansas State University compliance team of Amy Foster, Haley Edwards and Brant Cook collectively embody the meaning of doing a lot with a little! This three-team office utilizes Teamwork's software advantageously as it relates to effective communication with all its student athletes and coaches. While previous emails, text messages and phone calls were not received openly, utilizing Teamwork's platform has increased the department's success when communicating with both their student-athletes and coaches. Such examples of increased efficiency include providing educational tips and handouts to both camps as they become relevant throughout the academic year; providing relevant legislative updates to their coaching staffs as they arise; updating student-athletes on specific financial aid issues that arise, such as with their head count sports on cost-of-attendance stipend refunds; and more.

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. 

• As deputy AD/compliance & sports administration at Clark Atlanta, Joseph Arnold is the guiding force behind all compliance/leadership functions, steering the department towards a bright future. Even prior to CAU, he thrived in leadership roles at various institutions/conferences, proving his ability to adapt and excel in any environment. Arnold is a visionary who actively shapes the future of Division II compliance as can be seen in his service on prestigious boards, leadership programs and committees.  Nationally, Arnold serves on the NCAA Division II Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, is a Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, is currently a participant in the NCAA Pathway Program.

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 60^th year. For more information on NACDA, the 19 professional associations, and/or four foundations it manages, please visit www.nacda.com.