Shanfelter will be joined by a distinguished panel of mentors and featured speakers throughout the two-day course.
The CEO Leadership Academy consists of 10 online educational modules that address general concepts that are important to know when developing an educationally based intercollegiate wrestling program. An in-person workshop will also be administered whereby coaches will work with their peers to adapt the general concepts to meet the unique needs on their campuses.
The Leadership Academy curriculum is the result of a collaborative effort with Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State University, a renowned leadership expert, which aims to promote and strengthen CEO leadership skills, align wrestling programs with similar educational values and insulate current programs from being eliminated.
"The work Dan Gould has done with the Leadership Academy over the past several years has been nothing short of amazing," said Moyer. "Through the curriculum we've developed with Dr. Gould, the Leadership Academy has put dozens of alumni into college coaching positions, with many of them hired by administrators at schools starting new college wrestling programs."
Each attendee was awarded a sponsorship via the NWCA which covers the course and the travel associated with the leadership academy. A release recognizing the Academy donors will be forthcoming.
Shanfelter, a Pennsylvania native, wrestled under coach Neil Turner at Lock Haven University and also spent a year coaching under Turner after his graduation. Shanfelter currently serves as the Chairman of Global HR Research, a nationwide firm that's provided pre and post-employment background and drug screening services. He serves on the Board for Patriot National, Orion Marine Group and two privately-held companies -- Sabre Industries and Vibra Health Care Systems.
He is also a member of the Lock Haven Wrestling Hall of Fame.
"Austin Shanfelter has been involved with the NWCA for a number of years and with a variety of different roles," said Moyer. "He's been active in charity work here in Florida and has been the CEO of a billion-dollar company. We're happy to have Austin give the keynote to open the CEO Leadership Academy."
Joe Geiger, the recently retired Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, will speak for a second year in a row, while Dr. Amanda Stanec, founder of Move Live Learn and Kathy DeBoer, Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, will also touch on topics that relate to women's sports. Dr. Stanec is also a multiple-time convention and academy speaker.
Geiger is currently the secretary of the NWCA after a long career working with nonprofit organizations.
"As part of our team, we know how much information Joe Geiger possesses," said Moyer. "His experience with nonprofit organizations can be beneficial to our leadership academy attendees because he has an inside take on how to approach funding and fundraising."
DeBoer will be featured in a women-specific forum discussing strategies in coaching women while Dr. Stanec will lead a panel on coaching women's wrestlers.
DeBoer and Dr. Stanec are leading the new women's wrestling component that's now a part of the traditional Leadership Academy.
"The success of women's volleyball at the NCAA level has been fantastic and with leadership like that of Kathy DeBoer, we will be able to help and facilitate our coaches in how to coach female athletes on a variety of levels," said Moyer. "We're super pleased she's going to be lending her knowledge to the Leadership Academy."
DeBoer also authored "Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently," which was released in 2004.
"Dr. Stanec is becoming a fixture at the NWCA Convention and the CEO Leadership Academy," said NWCA President Mark Cody. "She understands the valuable insight into the healthy lifestyle and well-being that wrestling brings and she's been an outspoken advocate at creating more wrestling and healthy sports opportunities for both boys and girls at the grassroots level."
The NWCA Leadership Academy will take place along with the NWCA Convention at the Westin Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mentors for this year: NCAA Division II champion coach Mark Bauer (Nebraska-Kearney); NCAA Secretary Rules Editor and Ohio Northern coach Ron Beaschler; Retired high school and college wrestling coach Johnny Cobb, most recently of Wayland Baptist in Texas; Missouri Baptist head men's and women's wrestling coach Brian Jackson; retired multiple-time Division III championship coach Jim Miller of Wartburg; multiple-time Division III championship coach and Augsburg Athletic Director Jeff Swenson; past NAIA National Coach of the Year Mike Ritchey of Southern Oregon; multiple-time WCWA championship coach Archie Randall of Oklahoma City University; retired Big 12 and Division I Coach of the Year Jack Spates. Current college coaches include Pat Popolizio of N.C. State, Brian Smith of Missouri, Campbellsville women's coach Lee Miracle, Missouri Valley women's coach Carl Murphee, Ursinus head coach Bill Racich.
Helping facilitate the CEO Leadership Academy: Dr. Dan Gould of Michigan State; Dr. Dennis Johnson, the Program Reviewer for the Commission on Sports Management Accreditation; Andy Driska, the Coordinator of Sport Coaching and Leadership at Michigan State and Scott Westfall, sport leadership expert and doctoral student at Michigan State.
This year's 2015 Leadership Academy attendees are: Ignacio Andrade (Birmingham Community Charter), Kevin Andres (Ottawa), Dustyn Azure (Montana State-Northern), Jeff Bedard (Chattanooga), Dillon Bera (Lakeland), Ryan Birt (Millikin), Niko Brown (Chattanooga), Tony Champion (Southern Oregon), Caitlyn Chase (Gomez Wrestlnig Academy), Curtis Chenoweth (Neosho County C.C.), Angelo Crinzi (Lindenwood-Belleville), Cliff Cushard (Grass Lake H.S.), Logan Davis (Southern Virginia), Jacquelyn Davis (Beat the Streets NY), Link Davis (Emmanuel), Craig Duncan (Huntingdon), Nate Engel (Navy), Tom Erikson (Lyon), Marques Gales (Trinity), Leroy Gardner (University of Houston-Downtown), Tyler Grayson (Brown), Brandy Green (Ottawa), Scott Kruger (Morningside), Kyle Kwiat (Ohio Northern), Lauren Louive (U. of the Cumberlands), Josh Manu (Johnson & Wales), Matt Meuleners (Nebraska), Chris Michael (Ferrum), Jesse Nelson (Southwest Minnesota State), Andrew Nicola (California Baptist), Jani Palmer (Bowerhouse), Jake Patacsil (Hofstra), Tony Patrizi (Heidelberg), Trent Paulson (Iowa State), Bryan Pearsall (Army), Jessica Philippus (Glenwood Girls), Jon Reader (South Dakota State), Tyson Reiner (Wartburg), Fletcher Roberts (Alma), Will Rowe (Duke), Sarah Saenz (San Fernando), Julia Salata (King), Mike Schadwinkel (Hastings), Todd Schavrien (Appalachian State), Sam Schmitz (McKendree), Coleman Scott (North Carolina), Rachael Shannon (Missouri Baptist), Israel Silva (George Mason), Tyrel Todd (Purdue), Mason True (Baldwin Wallace), Ty Vinson (Great Falls), Donaco Watts (Briar Cliff), Adam Wilson (Trine) and Jason Zastrow (U. of the Ozarks).
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