ATLANTA, Ga. (June 2, 2023) – Southern Athletic Association President’s Council Chair Dr. Stephen Briggs has announced the hiring of Stacey LaDew as the conference’s commissioner.
“We are delighted to have Stacey join us at an important moment in our development as we begin to integrate two highly regarded institutions into the conference,” Briggs explained. “Her sharp intellect, focus, energy, and vision will serve us well as we review our foundational assumptions and build on our record of competitive success and good-natured rivalry.”
LaDew succeeds founding commissioner Jay Gardiner, who is set to retire in June after leading the SAA through its first 12 years.
LaDew brings direct experience from her role, since 2019, as Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, the members of which compete regularly against teams from the SAA. She chaired the HCAC Championships committee and helped oversee championships and playoffs for the HCAC’s 22 sports. She also served as an integral leader in the HCAC’s rebranding campaign, website transition, and awards redesign process.
"I would like to thank the search committee for their hard work through this process," said LaDew. "I am thrilled to be returning to the SAA as its Commissioner and look forward to leading the conference in this next chapter working to provide the best possible intercollegiate athletic experience for our student-athletes. I will be forever grateful for my time in the HCAC. With the help of Commissioner Jay Jones and the conference family, I was able to grow and develop a true understanding of what it means to be a successful conference.”
A native of Kentucky, LaDew earned a Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications at Transylvania University, where she was a member of the Pioneers volleyball team. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Athletic Administration from Coker College in 2015.
As a former student-athlete, LaDew is attuned to concerns about student well-being. She hosted a SAAC Leadership retreat for HCAC student-athletes and has bolstered a partnership with the Indiana Special Olympics to sponsor two annual unified events.
Earlier in her career, LaDew spent four years at SUNY Brockport as the Director of Athletic Communications and Media Relations, where she oversaw the daily communication efforts of 23 varsity sports. She also served two years at Rhodes College as the college's first Sports Information Director. She began her career at her alma mater, Transylvania University, as the assistant sports information director.
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Southern Athletic Association is committed to fostering athletic competition and cooperation among academically selective, residential liberal arts colleges located in the southern United States. Founded in 2011, its members embrace varsity athletics as an integral part of the campus experience offering meaningful opportunities for self-understanding, commitment, mastery, maturation, and leadership. Core SAA members are Berry College, Birmingham-Southern College, Centre College, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Oglethorpe University, Rhodes College, and the University of the South—Sewanee. Southwestern University and Trinity University (Texas) will join as full-time members in 2025. The SAA sponsors sports in baseball, M&W basketball, M&W cross country, field hockey. M&W golf, M&W lacrosse, M&W soccer, softball, M&W swimming & diving, M&W tennis, M&W track & field and volleyball.