Presenter Bios

Adam Antor is an Assistant Professor of Professional Esports Production at Ferris State University and the 2026 NACE Educator of the Year. A longtime leader in collegiate and scholastic esports, Antor previously served as Director of Esports at Florida Southern College and launched esports programs at Aquinas College and West Catholic High School. An award-winning educator and coach, he has presented nationally on esports education, broadcasting, coaching, program development, and career pathways while working to prepare the next generation of esports professionals. 

Jonathan Besecker believes every student should feel confident and comfortable on the fitness floor. At EGYM, he partners with campus recreation teams to create more approachable, inclusive, and engaging fitness experiences that encourage participation, support student wellness, and most importantly, help students have fun while building a lasting relationship with fitness. 

Laurie served as the Executive Director of University Recreation at Louisiana State University for 16 years until her retirement in August 2026, providing visionary leadership for the department and leading a dynamic team of 40 full-time staff members and 350 student employees.

Before joining LSU, Laurie built campus recreation from the ground up as the Director of Campus Recreation at the University of Texas-Brownsville (2007–2010). Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade as Associate Director of Programs and Facilities at Central Michigan University (1999–2007). She holds a B.S. from the University of Florida and an M.S. from North Carolina State University.

Laurie's 35-year membership in NIRSA reflects her unwavering dedication to collegiate recreation. She served on the NIRSA Board of Directors (2012–2015) and contributed to countless committees, task forces, and work teams. Her commitment to professional growth is further demonstrated by her Student-Centered Design certificate from Boise State University.

Laurie is a champion of campus engagement, fostering strong relationships with student life, residential life, health services, athletics, and facility master planning committees. She also endowed the Frederick R. Braden NIRSA Foundation Scholarship, which supports initiatives addressing social justice and equity in collegiate recreation.

Beyond her professional life, Laurie is an avid runner, fitness enthusiast, reader, and tennis player. From 2000 to 2009, she founded and led a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raised funds to send girls to summer sports camps. Her distinguished contributions to the field have earned her numerous accolades, culminating in the prestigious NIRSA Honor Award, as well as:

• NIRSA Foundation Will Holsberry Scholarship

• Michael J. Stevenson Outstanding Service Award

• Two-time recipient of the NIRSA Outstanding Service Award

• Region 4 Award of Merit

• NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award

At her core, Laurie remains passionate about the power of movement and play—and their profound impact on learning, health, and well-being across a lifetime.

Ryan Brown is the Assistant Director of Esports at Florida Tech, overseeing competitive operations and supporting student engagement and development. A two-time graduate of Central Michigan University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 2022 and M.S. in Applied Experimental Psychology in 2024, Ryan began his collegiate esports career at CMU as a Program Coordinator, gaining experience in program development, daily operations, student engagement, and competition. He later served as the inaugural Director of Esports at Wittenberg University, where he built the program from the ground up, designed and oversaw the development of its esports arena, coached and recruited student athletes, and managed competitive and administrative operations. Ryan has also served as a League Administrator for the Collegiate Esports Association, supporting competition for more than 200 collegiate teams across the United States and Canada, and currently serves as Chair of the NACE Eligibility Enforcement Committee and Director of Operations for the Rust Belt Conference. Throughout his career, Ryan has worked at the intersection of recreation, student development, and competitive esports, using the experiences and skills developed throughout his time at Central Michigan to build programs and create opportunities for collegiate students. 

Dr. Joe Carrillo currently serves as the Assistant Director of Facilities and Auxiliary Operations at the University of Arkansas. Joe began his collegiate recreation career as a student at Arizona State University, where he discovered his passion for campus recreation through roles as an intramural sports official, intramural supervisor, intramural student coordinator, and facility manager. 

Joe continued his professional development at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he completed his graduate assistantship in Recreational Sports before serving as the Club Sports, Marketing, and Special Events Coordinator. While completing his graduate studies, he also gained additional facilities experience through an internship with the Campus Recreation Department at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. 

Outside of collegiate recreation, Joe has experience officiating high school baseball and football in Illinois and Arkansas. His career journey reflects the many opportunities within collegiate recreation and the impact that student employment, graduate education, and hands-on professional experiences can have on a career. 

Jono Eaton is the Esports content and production coordinator at Michigan State University. He was the 2024 National Association of Collegiate Esports Support Staff of the Year award winner. He was the founder of Ferris State's esports club and later developed the varsity program. Now he enjoys helping shape collegiate esports at Michigan State University.  

Daniel M. Gaken has served as the director of the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute since 2009. An active member of the Mt. Pleasant Community, Dan sits on the ArtReach Board of Directors, serves on the Games Committee for the Special Olympics Michigan, and is a former Trustee of the United Way of Gratiot and Isabella Counties. Dan builds community leaders through programming with the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce including Capstone Leadership, a curriculum he authored. A nationally recognized leadership speaker, Gaken is past president of the Michigan Chapter of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Dan's first book, Leadership & Service: An Introduction, which he co-authored with Senator George was published by Kendall/Hunt in 2008. 

Vernique N. Jackson is the Associate Director at the Leadership Institute at Central Michigan University (CMU). With over 16 years of leadership development experience, including as a Leadership Development Trainer for the State of Michigan, she champions inclusive excellence. She oversees the Leader Advancement Scholarship and Leadership Safari, and as a certified Clifton Strengths facilitator, she is dedicated to helping individuals discover their strengths and become impactful leaders. 

Becky Lewis serves as the Director of University Recreation and Well-Being at Oakland University, overseeing fitness and well-being programs, intramurals, club sports, and recreation facilities while leading budgeting, staff development, and long-term planning. With more than 30 years of experience in collegiate recreation, she holds a B.A.A. in Journalism from Central Michigan University and an M.S. in Exercise and Health Studies from Miami University. She also chairs OU’s Healthy Campus initiative and has been recognized for her leadership, including being named OU’s Outstanding Administrative Professional of the Year in 2019. 

Phil Leyerer currently serves as the Associate Director for Programming at Central Michigan University, where he provides leadership and oversight for University Recreation’s programming areas, including Intramural Sports, Club Sports, Esports, Fitness & Wellness, and Special Events.

Phil’s career path into collegiate recreation began somewhat unexpectedly. As an undergraduate at Central Michigan University, he worked in athletics while also coaching basketball at the junior college and high school levels. After earning his undergraduate degrees in Sport Management and Business Administration from CMU, Phil began his professional career at Kaskaskia College in Illinois, where he served as an Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach and Student Activities/Student Life Coordinator. One of his responsibilities was rebuilding the college’s intramural sports program, which sparked his interest in collegiate recreation as a career.

Phil later returned to graduate school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, earning his master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology. During his time at SIUE, he served as a graduate assistant in Club Sports before becoming the Club Sports Coordinator for two years and later the Competitive Sports and Special Events Coordinator for three years. In 2021, Phil returned to Central Michigan University as the Associate Director for Sports Programs and transitioned into his current role as Associate Director for Programming in spring 2024.

Phil is actively involved in professional development through the Michigan Intramural Recreation Sports Association (MIRSA) and NIRSA, including serving in leadership roles within MIRSA. Outside of collegiate recreation, Phil also works as a mental sports performance coach, combining his background in sport psychology with his passion for helping athletes and individuals develop confidence, leadership skills, and mental performance strategies. His professional interests center on leadership development, student employment, and creating meaningful opportunities for students to grow through collegiate recreation.

Riley Long was named the Executive Director of NACE in April 2025. With over 13 years of experience in esports, Riley has a diverse background, ranging from founding and managing a professional esports organization to directing NACE member programs at Michigan Tech, Aquinas College, and Grand Valley State University. He has also served on the NACE Eligibility Enforcement Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors at the Summer 2024 National Convention. Riley is deeply committed to advancing NACE’s mission by working with its members to develop strong eligibility standards and robust competition to ensure esports become a generational intercollegiate sport. Riley obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and completed his MBA at Grand Valley State University. 

Aidan McPartlin is a third-year student at Central Michigan University, where he is majoring in Cinema Arts and pursuing minors in Creative Writing and Disability Studies and Inclusion. His career goal is to become a screenwriter. He has already brought two of his stories to the screen through YouTube: the short film Have a Nice Day and the feature-length film Side Effects May Include. 

Katie Moe is the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation at Northern Michigan University, when she’s not helping lead campus recreation initiatives, Katie is busy teaching lifesaving skills as an American Red Cross Instructor Trainer and as an adjunct faculty member for NMU School of Health & Human Performance, sharing her expertise in emergency response and critical incident management. Most recently, she co-authored the textbook First Aid: Responding to Emergencies, contributing a chapter focused on critical incident stress management and debriefing. In 2026, she also earned certification through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). 

Katie is passionate about helping people feel prepared, supported, and confident during emergencies and stressful situations. She strongly believes that recognizing when individuals are struggling after a critical incident — and providing support early — can play a vital role in reducing the long-term effects of trauma. 

Beth Northuis serves as the Senior Associate Director of Well-being, bringing a strong background in exercise science, fitness, and recreation. She holds an M.A. in Sports Administration from Western Michigan University and a B.A. in Exercise Science, Adult Fitness and Recreation, from Hope College. Beth is also certified as an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, F45 Trainer, and in spinning, yoga, and Beachbody Insanity. 

Jason Alexander Pappas is the Associate Director of Recreation at Purdue University and a higher education professional with extensive experience in collegiate recreation, student development, and leadership education. Prior to joining Purdue, Jason served at Arizona State University from 2022 to 2026, where Jason supervised Club Sports and Intramural Sports programs, supporting student employees, student leaders, and competitive recreation opportunities for a diverse campus community. 

Jason earned both a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Applied Communication Studies and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where Jason studied from 2016 to 2022. This educational foundation, combined with professional experience in campus recreation, has shaped a strong commitment to student learning, leadership development, and creating meaningful co-curricular experiences. This is also where Jason's campus recreation career started, as he worked as an official, manager, and supervisor in Intramurals. Later, he worked as a Graduate Assistant at SIUE while finishing his master's degree. 

Throughout a career in campus recreation, Jason has been passionate about helping student employees grow into confident young professionals by fostering leadership skills, workplace readiness, and meaningful learning experiences. Through work in recreation and student engagement, Jason has led programs and initiatives that promote personal growth, teamwork, customer service, and professional success. Jason is committed to mentoring students, building inclusive campus communities, and creating opportunities that prepare the next generation of professionals for success beyond college. 

Jerrell DaShawn Redwine, Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness at Central Michigan University. Jerrell has a B.S. degree in Exercise Science and an M.S. degree in Exercise Physiology both from CMU (Fire Up!). He is also an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) – Certified Personal Trainer and brings years of personal training experience and mentorship. He has completed the ACSM – Inclusive Fitness Specialist Course, which is a course designed to equip personal trainers with the tools and strategies to effectively support clients across a wide range of abilities by covering a wide range of topics that are relevant to understanding proper inclusive exercise prescription and implementation. Jerrell’s main purpose of existence to glorify his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in all that he does. This is why compassionate service and stewardship are two of his top core values to live by. 

Kyle Reece brings energy, experience, and a genuine love for sport to his role as Sports and Recreation Program Coordinator at Oakland University. With a B.S. in Sport Management from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.S. in Sport Management from Sam Houston State University, he has more than seven years of professional experience in collegiate recreation, including leadership roles at Curry College, Eastern Kentucky University, and Sam Houston State University. Kyle is CPR/AED/First Aid Certified, a CPR/AED/First Aid Instructor, an MHSAA Licensed Football and Baseball Official, and has received awards including the 2017 MIAA Newcomer of the Year Award and the 2025 Dr. Michael Stevenson Scholarship Award. Outside of work, Kyle enjoys walking his dog, Rocky, trying new spicy recipes, and building community through fun and inclusive recreation experiences. 

Dylan Reisen is the Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. Her daily duties include overseeing student employees in all areas of fitness and developing programming for group fitness, personal training, and special events. She started her career at Central Michigan University where she acquired her undergraduate degree in Public Health and completed an internship within the fitness department of recreation. She developed her skills by attending professional development workshops, conferences, and gaining connections. At CMU, she developed the "Movement 4 Mental Health" program that has since been taken to different universities.  

From there she went on to secure a Graduate Assistantship at Indiana State University. While completing her assistantship in Fitness she also worked as an OLLI instructor, swim instructor, personal trainer, and facilities custodian. There she learned all aspects of recreation and found ways to combine public health with recreational programming. Her philosophy is rooted in providing safe, effective, and accessible fitness programming to everyone.  

Outside of recreation, Dylan has experience coaching track & field, swimming, and leading group cycling rides in Michigan and Indiana. Her journey shows students that it does not matter where you start in Recreation. If you take advantage of the opportunities provided, you too can make an impact.  

Caitlyn Schoenmeyer is the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation and Fitness at Saginaw Valley State University. She oversees fitness and outdoor adventure programs and is passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for students to build community through recreation and wellness. 

Kristin Traskie serves as the Executive Director of Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodations at MSU, where she leads health promotion initiatives and works to create accessible and inclusive programs for students, faculty, and staff. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Oakland University and a Master’s in Public Health from Old Dominion University, with over a decade of experience developing programs, policies, and systems across higher education, healthcare, and the military. Her work has earned numerous awards, including the 2023 American College Health Foundation College Wellbeing Award, and she has helped lead the MSU Exercise is Medicine® Initiative to gold-level recognition for nine consecutive years. 

Melissa Ann Walton, Coordinator for Facilities & Special Events at Central Michigan University. Melissa brings more than 25 years of higher-education leadership in athletics, events, and nonprofit management. At Albion College she served nearly 19 years in roles including Director of Athletics, Senior Associate Athletic Director, and Associate Athletic Director/Head Volleyball Coach—overseeing budgets, hiring, Title IX compliance, DEI initiatives, facility projects, and launching programs such as men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s and women’s lacrosse, equestrian hunt seat, equestrian western, and e-sports. She is a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusion, served as an NCAA One Team facilitator, created the Green Dot Bystander Intervention program at her former institution, and was an NCAA DiSC facilitator.