FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With sights set on immediate success now and into the foreseeable future, Nova Southeastern Director of Athletics Michael Mominey has announced the restructuring of his Senior Staff team, along with additional administrative hires.
“I believe change lends to opportunity and opportunity leads to growth,” Mominey expressed. “The opportunity in this case involves resetting our organizational structure, which will position the athletic department for continued success now and well into the future. I am certainly proud of the culture of success that we have built in a student-centered way, but what I am most excited about is the promise we have made for the future.”
Coupled with the recent announcement of Mominey’s new expanded role as Associate Vice President of Advancement, the reorganization of the department will allow for an improved streamline of operations, create organizational efficiencies, provide opportunities for young professionals to grow, and ultimately provide a platform for continued growth and success.
Mominey added: “Our mission is to provide a first-class experience for our student-athletes through participation in a highly competitive athletic program. To me, this starts with putting your leaders in the best position to be successful in order to provide that experience for your student-athletes. With this organizational restructure, we did just that.”
The new Senior Staff with new duties will be comprised of the following individuals:
Tony Vecchione, Deputy Director of Athletics – The former general manager of the Arena at the Don Taft University Center, now more commonly known as the Rick Case Arena, from 2006-11, Vecchione returns to NSU as the new Deputy Director of Athletics after spending the past six years in the same role at NCAA Division I Manhattan College. Vecchione will oversee all external operations, including Athletic Communications, Athletic Facilities and Operations, in addition to Marketing and Promotions, and serve as the sport administrator for both baseball and men’s basketball.
Danielle Daniel, Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration/Internal Operations/Business Services – Entering her third year within the department, Daniel will remain in her role as Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration, Internal Operations and Business Services. She will now oversee the Sports Performance and Sports Medicine departments, as well as new Human Resources and Business Coordinator, Stephanie Ponce. Daniel’s sport administration duties now include men’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming, women’s soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Rachel Fineberg, Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Support/Senior Woman Administrator/Title IX Coordinator – Beginning her fourth year as a member of NSU athletics, Fineberg has been promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Support. She will maintain her additional positions as Senior Woman Administrator and Title IX Coordinator, while officially becoming oversight of the Compliance department as well. Fineberg will act as sport administrator for men’s soccer, women’s basketball and women’s golf.
Dustin Gatens, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Medicine – A former Head Athletic Trainer for the Sharks as recently as 2017, Gatens returns to the department as the new Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Medicine. He will oversee NSU’s five additional athletic trainers and will work directly with the men’s soccer and tennis programs. Gatens originally joined the department back in 2006.
Yashiva Edwards, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and NCAA Rules Education/Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designation – Adding to her role in Compliance, Edwards has been appointed as the NSU Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID). Edwards will serve as the program’s primary contact and conduit for diversity and inclusion-related information pertaining to national, local and campus-level issues. In the ADID role, Edwards will serve as the primary contact for information related to initiatives, programming and resources from the NCAA, specifically from diversity-related committees and the office of inclusion, and may include scholarship and grant opportunities, professional development opportunities, as well as national trends and their impact on student-athletes. Edwards will also act as the sport administrator for cross country and track & field. She was initially hired to the NSU staff in the fall of 2019.
Additional administrative promotions and hires welcomed to the Shark family:
Jameson Carter, Manager of Athletic Communications – Carter will lead the athletic communications department, which will include oversight of digital media, branding and graphic design. He will continue his sport coverage of men’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s soccer, while adding both softball and tennis into the mix. Carter has been with the Sharks since 2016 and has continued to be a valuable member of the staff.
Jon Leatherman, Athletic Communications Coordinator –- NSU welcomes Leatherman after spending nearly three years as the Manager of Athletic Communications at nearby St. Thomas (Fla.), where he oversaw 25 varsity teams. Leatherman was named the 2019-20 Sun Conference Sports Information Director of the Year and has previously worked with the Miami Marlins and Major League Baseball. With the Sharks, he will provide sport coverage for baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s track & field, women’s basketball and volleyball.
Robert Baroniel, Revenue Generation and Business Development Coordinator – A four-year pitcher for the NSU baseball program from 2012-15, Baroniel was the most recent hire within the department. His new role as Revenue Generation and Business Development Coordinator is a brand-new position to the department, and will work in direct correlation with Manager of Marketing & Promotions, Abbie Lawson. Baroniel most recently spent two-plus years with Lynn athletics.
Stephanie Ponce, Human Resources and Business Coordinator – Ponce is an NSU alumni and brings over 10 years of experience in Employee Relations across non-profit and educational institutions. Most recently, she served in NSU’s Office of Residential Life and Housing (ORLH) and managed hiring for all residential communities and daily operations of the main housing office. This role was instrumental in fostering relationships, collaborating with campus partners and supporting leadership in revenue generation. Her level of professionalism and dedication to staff and students has made a lasting impression in Student Affairs. She will be working closely with Daniel in providing our employees and athletes with the best NSU experience.
For all updates related to Sharks athletics, please visit NSUSharks.com.
