Athletics Committee Meeting September 9, 2024

The Athletics Committee met on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 1:45 p.m. in Room 202 of the Freeman Center with Kelli Purdy Meadows, presiding.

Present from the Committee

LTC (R) Kevin J. Callanan, MA CFRE
John R. Lawson
Kelli Purdy Meadows, CPA, CCIFP, (Acting Chair)
LTC (R) Boris G. Robinson (remote by phone)*
Keith Windle

*LTC (R) Boris G. Robinson - Remote participation permitted due to distance between the member’s primary residence and the meeting location pursuant to Code of Virginia § 2.2- 3708.3(B)(4). Mr. Robinson participated from Round Rock, TX.

Absent from the Committee

Lee Vreeland, Ed.D., Chair
William A. Estrada, Esq.

Present from the University

Willy Donaldson, Faculty Senate Representative
Kyle McMullin, Athletic Director
Jennifer Latour, Chief of Staff
Richard Long, Vice President for University Advancement
Sarah Herzog, Chief Financial Officer and Associate Vice President
Chip Filer, Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations
Kenneth Kidd, Deputy Chief of Staff
Mary-Margaret Wells, Director of Parent & Annual Giving
Evanne Raible
David Ralph
Deborah Roundtree
Emilie Shoults

Other Board Members Present

None

At 1:45 p.m. Mrs. Kelli Purdy Meadows, Acting Chair, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were completed by all committee members. There were no formal minutes to be approved – as the last time the Committee met it was a tour of Ratcliffe Hall and the Golf Center. Mrs. Purdy Meadows read the charge for the Athletics Committee.

Miss Emilie Shoults, a sophomore lacrosse student athlete was our speaker. She shared with us about her experiences with CNU Athletics. She leads in various organizations and is a part of FCA and is a leader for the Women’s Bible Study for the lacrosse team. Morgan’s Message is another organization that she is passionate about, where she is an ambassador for mental and emotional health.

Mr. Kyle McMullin offered a review of FY’24 and the success of our student-athletes. Last year was the first year that all 13 teams eligible for the NCAA tournament were selected to participate. CNU has the highest winning percentage of all of our sports in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Conference Membership will continue to be a challenge for Christopher Newport and we will need to be creative to stabilize our conference homes. Engagement at the Presidential level will remain critical to ensuring conference stability and opportunities for student-athletes.

Athletics budget was reduced by $600K during FY’24. Athletics will continually rely upon private funds to ensure that athletes can compete and travel. Ms. Mary-Margaret Wells has been a partner with the athletics team to help them in fundraising efforts to fill the budgetary gap. FY’25 begins with very little cash available in reserves.

Athletics has had quite a positive impact on the Newport News economy. Seventy-five institutions from seventeen states and the District of Columbia traveled to this community to compete at Christopher Newport during fiscal year ’24. There are partnerships with area hotels and athletic clubs like the LionsBridge. Rentals, camps, and clinics also contribute economic activity to our community.

Mr. Kyle McMullin offered to take group on a tour of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Acting Chair, Mrs. Kelli Purdy Meadows called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Kevin Callanan and seconded by Mr. Keith Windle. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:57 p.m.