2020 NJCAA CONVENTION HOME | ABOUT | REGISTER | SCHEDULE | SPONSORS | HOTEL INFORMATION
STEVE FORBES | EAST TENNESEE STATE, HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH 
Keynote Speaker | Monday, March 10 | 7:30 PM
Steve Forbes is the 16th head coach in ETSU history, which was announced on March 30, 2015.
Forbes enters his fifth season with the Buccaneers in 2019-20, and has totaled 100 wins and a .719 win percentage in his first four seasons. He holds the 17th highest win percentage among current NCAA Division I head coaches.
For his career, Forbes has totaled 266 wins during his 11 season as a head coach, which includes stops at ETSU, Northwest Florida State, Barton County Community College and Southwestern Community College. Forbes has also had stints as an assistant coach at Wichita State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Illinois State, Louisiana Tech and Idaho.
Under Forbes’ watch, ETSU has reached historic heights as the 100 wins over the last four seasons is a program record, while the four straight 20-plus win seasons has only been accomplished one other time in school history. Forbes earned his 100th career win at ETSU against Chattanooga in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament back on March 9, 2019. With the milestone win, Forbes joined an elite group as only 10 current active Division I head coaches have reached the 100-win mark in their first four seasons – Shaka Smart, Eric Musselman, Brad Underwood, Josh Pastner, Jamie Dixon, Mark Few, Steve Prohm, Roy Williams, Mike White, Chris Beard and Jim Boeheim.
Stanley Johnson | Executive Director of Minority Opportunities Athletic Association
Understanding Diversity - Building an Inclusive Environment Through Athletics | Tuesday, March 31 | 9:00 AM
A founding advocate for the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, Stanley Johnson brings extensive knowledge and experience in providing opportunities for minorities to the NJCAA Convention. Hired by the NCAA in 1988, Johnson was tasked with developing various programs that would enhance minority participation in athletics. Johnson spent 11 years with the NCAA and served as the Director of Professional Development.
Johnson's passion for providing educational opportunities focuses on a multitude of avenues, including communications, training and sensitivity to individuals and organizations regarding issues that relate to career development, diversity and inclusion, generational dynamics, gender and race.
Johnson received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management from Kansas Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Human Resources Development from Pittsburg State University. Johnson currently serves as the President of Stan Johnson & Associates.
A native of Kansas City, MO, Stan and his wife Cynthia, have four children. Stan serves on a number of Civic and Church boards.
DR. RICHARD SANDER | ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN RESIDENCE, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVESRITY
Keynote Speaker | NJCAA Awards Dinner | Wednesday, April 1 | 6:45 PM
A tenured veteran in the college athletics realm, Dr. Richard Sander brings unprecedented insight to the NJCAA Convention as the NJCAA Awards Dinner Keynote Speaker. A former Athletic Director at both Virginia Commonwealth University and East Tennessee State University, Sander holds over 30 years of collegiate athletic experience.
Sander served as the Assistant Athletic Director at Memphis State University (now The University of Memphis) beginning in 1982 and was responsible for athletic fundraising. In 1986, he left Memphis to take the job at VCU where his duties expanded in 1994 when assumed the title of assistant to the president.
While at VCU, Sander created the VCU SportsCenter, an innovative graduate program that offers a master’s degree in sport leadership. The SportsCenter provides students the opportunity to receive practical, hands-on experience in the sport industry. He also established VCU’s Office of Student-Athlete Advising as an on-campus resource that offers academic advisors, tutors and student-athlete workrooms, and the Non-curricular Educational Support Training program, created to assist student-athletes in completing their degrees. After retiring from VCU, he remained as director of the SportsCenter until 2008.
Sander later founded Docdi Consulting, LLC, which specializes in brand-enhancement initiatives and strategic planning working with such programs as Gonzaga, George Mason, Western Kentucky and the Colonial Athletic Association.
In January of 2013, Sander was named East Tennessee State's interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and was later named to the permanent role in June of 2013. After leading the Bucs' athletic department to great heights, Sander stepped down from his role as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2017 but remained as the executive director of the university’s Global Sports Leadership doctoral program.
Sander earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1968. He received a M.S. in Physical Education from Xavier University in 1974, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1980. Sander and his wife, Mary, have a daughter, Leslie, and son, Jim, and one grandson, Jack.
AUSTIN BYLER | MAJOR LEAGUE UNIVERSITY CO-FOUNDER & CEO
The Mental Game | Monday, March 30 | 2:00 PM
A native of Peoria, AZ, Austin Byler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Major League University, an educational baseball organization whose vision seeks to provide youth baseball players with the opportunity to learn from some of the best players in the game. Byler was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. Byler attended Nevada where he was a first team Mountain West Selection, a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, and was named to the midseason watch list for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.
DENNIS GOODWIN | ANTI-HAZING COLLABORATIVE CO-FOUNDER
Hazing: Is your school prepared? | Monday, March 30 | 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Dennis Goodwin is a co-founder of the Anti-Hazing Collaborative. Goodwin has over 20 years of teaching experience at the middle school, high school, and community college levels. He has been active in athletics for over 25 years as a lacrosse coach, basketball official, and baseball umpire. Goodwin's sense of humor allows the attendees to learn many ideas and strategies to bring back to their campuses and implement anti-hazing programs and policies immediately.
BRIAN HENDERSON | PATRICK HENRY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Coping with Tragedy | Monday, March 30 | 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Brian M. Henderson was named Patrick Henry Community College’s Athletic Director on July 3, 2014. He also currently serves as the Senior Athletic Administrator and an adjunct professor of recreation at the college.
Henderson, 34, arrived to PHCC in 2012 as he gained the head womens basketball position. Within a years time, he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director and Student Activities Coordinator. In addition to previously holding coaching positions at George Washington High School in Danville, VA, Petersburg High School, and Virginia State University, Henderson has also served in other roles such as a board member of both United Way of Henry County and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes amongst other positions outside of athletics. Currently, he is an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and a board member for the National Association of Two Year College Athletics Administrators (NATYCAA).
MARCI HENRY | NJCAA BOARD OF REGENTS SENIOR WOMEN'S ADMINISTRATOR, NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
NJCAA Leadership: Get Involved | Tuesday, March 31 | 1:45, 2:45
Marci Henry, a long-time leader in two-year college athletics, currently serves as the Senior Women's Administrator on the NJCAA Board of Regents. Prior to the association's governance restructuring in August 2018, Henry served as a member of the NJCAA Board of Directors from 2006-2015 and as First Vice President for Women from 2015-2018.
Henry is in her 10th year as the Athletic Director at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO. At Northeastern, Henry led the Plainswomen volleyball program from 1999-2009. During her tenure, Henry coaches numerous athletic and academic award winners including All-America, All-Region, All-Tournament, Academic All-America, and Academic All-Region. In 2003, Henry coached her team to a Region IX Championship and an 11th place finish at the NJCAA national tournament.
RENEE LOPEZ | AUTHOR, COACH, SPEAKER
Leadership Development | Tuesday, March 31 | 12:15
As a seventeen-year coaching veteran, Renee Lopez is an expert in the college recruiting process, leadership training and team culture development. As a United States Soccer Federation (USSF)- and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)- licensed coach, she has recruited and produced three All-Americans and has been honored as Coach of the Year by her peers. In addition to serving as NCAA compliance director, she has learned the recruiting process from having worked as a high school varsity head coach for three years and a college coach for fourteen, in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA.
Lopez serves as a certified speaker, trainer, and coach on leadership development with The John Maxwell Team.
DEAN MYRICK | NJCAA BOARD OF REGENTS SENIOR MEN'S ADMINISTRATOR, ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER
NJCAA Leadership: Get Involved | Tuesday, March 31 | 1:45, 2:45
Dean Myrick has served the NJCAA in a number of leadership roles throughout his tenure with the association. The current Alabama Community College Conference Commissioner, Myrick serves as the NJCAA Board of Regents Senior Men's Administrator, NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Committee Chair, and NJCAA DIII Baseball Committee Chair.
KATHY TURPIN | K. TURPIN CONSULTING PRESIDENT
Women in Leadership | Monday, March 30 | 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Kathy Turpin earned a Ph.D. in leadership and higher education administration from Barry University (FL) where she completed research on the career paths of females in intercollegiate athletics and their perceptions toward the decline of women in the profession. She also earned a master’s degree in sport sociology from Western Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri‐Columbia, where she was a four‐year starter on the women’s basketball team. Turpin is an active member of Women Leaders in College Sports, is a graduate of the Women Leaders/NCAA Leadership Institute and has previously served on their board of directors.
Turpin was the first female inducted into the Culver‐Stockton College Athletic Hall of Fame for her successful ten‐ year stint as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Also served as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Augustana College (SD).