WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed has been named to the RISE Board of Directors in a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the first joint venture between the two organizations.  RISE is a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.
 
The new partnership with NACDA and the formation of the RISE Athlete Leadership Committee were approved at the fall RISE Board of Directors meeting in New York City on Oct. 23. These steps mark a watershed moment for RISE, as the nonprofit grows its already well-established coalition of professional sports leagues, community organizations and media networks to educate and empower the sports community to fight racial and ethnic discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations in our country.
 
"NACDA's partnership with RISE is a great step in the right direction for intercollegiate athletics departments across the country," said Reed. "I am honored and humbled to serve in this leadership capacity by connecting two organizations that are valuable to me and many other athletics administrators in the industry. This collaboration has powerful potential to positively impact all of the individuals who have a connection to college athletics."
 
The RISE Athlete Leadership Committee will include current and former professional athletes who are passionate advocates for racial equity and social justice. The committee will act as a strategic working group that will guide RISE's Board of Directors on programming decisions, determining how best to engage professional athletes and equip them with the tools to be effective leaders in addressing racism in our country.
 
NACDA, now in its 55th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 15,700 college athletics administrators at more than 1,700 institutions throughout North America. The RISE-NACDA partnership will provide platforms and programs that empower collegiate athletes, coaches and administrators to be campus leaders for diversity and inclusion.
 
As part of this partnership, RISE and NACDA will create a joint committee of leading college athletics directors and members of RISE's board that will work together on program development and outreach within all intercollegiate sectors.
 
Through partnerships and programs, RISE inspires leaders in sports to create positive change on matters of race and equality. RISE's vision is to create a nation unified through sports committed to racial equality and social justice.