FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason Senior Associate Athletic Director Kelly Webb is one of 25 senior-level athletics administrators throughout the country currently participating in the 2017 NCAA Pathway Program.

Webb, who serves as the athletic department's Senior Woman Administrator and oversees the compliance department, is at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis this week for a weeklong session. Webb will also continue to meet with the other members of the NCAA Pathway Program during quarterly meetings throughout the year, culminating next June at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention in Washington, D.C.

A committee that includes current athletics administrators and past program attendees, across all NCAA divisions, selected the participants for the yearlong experiential learning opportunity. 

For the senior-level athletics administrators who participate, the Pathway Program provides an unprecedented opportunity to gain insight into every facet of an athletics department, preparing them to become well-rounded leaders who are equipped with the tools an effective athletics director needs. Each program participant is mentored by a current NCAA athletics director and a current university chancellor or president who have committed to helping the Pathway participants grow during the program and after completing it.

These in-person sessions will include opportunities to engage with university and college presidents, who will shed light on the role of athletics directors, reinforce the value of athletics on campus and provide candid answers to participants' questions. Along with NCAA governance meetings, program participants will participate in a simulation of their first staff meeting as a director of athletics, receive advice on beginning their first 90 days in an athletics director chair, participate in case studies on campus-relevant topics and learn best practices from current and former athletics directors.

The Pathway Program is designed to elevate those currently in senior-level positions within athletics administration to the next step as a director of athletics. This year-long program is an intensive, experiential learning opportunity for selected participants representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Since its inception in 1997, the Pathway Program (formerly the Fellows Program) has produced more than 100 alumni. Nearly 25 percent of the participants have gone on to become directors of athletics, while more than 60 percent have received promotions in their careers.

Webb has been at Mason since August 2016 when she was hired as Associate AD for Compliance. Just a few months later, she was named Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). In April, she was promoted to Senior Associate AD.

A veteran of more than 10 years in sports administration and compliance, Webb is the sport administrator role for three women's programs; basketball, lacrosse and soccer. She provides leadership, performance management and strategic planning in that position. She served in a similar capacity at Towson University for three years as the sport supervisor for three women's programs.

While at Towson, Webb was voted the 2015 East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Administrator of the Year. Webb also served in leadership roles as part of L.E.a.D. (Leadership Enhancement and Development) Tiger Advisory Board and the Athletics Director Council, while overseeing the department's APR and Sports Sponsorship reports.

A native of Southern California, Webb has also gained experience working in several conference offices. She served as the Assistant Commissioner at the Northeast Conference, providing all compliance services for the 12 NEC member institutions. For two years prior to joining the NEC staff, Webb held the role of Assistant Director of Compliance for the Atlantic 10 Conference. She started her sports administration career in 2006 with the West Coast Conference upon earning her MBA from San Diego State with a specialization in Sports Business Management in 2006.