2025 Sport Management Symposium

ACC Commissioner James J. Phillips, Ph.D., has skillfully led the Atlantic Coast Conference through the most transformational age in college sports history. From student-athlete welfare and compensation to conference realignment and revenue generation, from College Football Playoff expansion to NCAA governance, Phillips has been central to national reforms. The fifth commissioner in the ACC’s history, Phillips began his tenure on Feb. 1, 2021, bringing decades of lauded NCAA Division I experience, a vision for the future and a passion for helping student-athletes prosper in competition, the classroom and their communities.

Ralph Russo is a senior writer for The Athletic, covering college football. Before joining The Athletic, he spent 20 years as the lead national college football writer for The Associated Press. He also previously worked as the AP’s Mississippi-based sports writer and did a stint with The Denver Post. Russo is a native New Yorker and a graduate of Fordham University.

Chris Helms serves as Virginia Tech’s executive associate AD/sport administration, overseeing the Sports Medicine/Athletic Training unit and acting as the liaison for the university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Housing Services. Helms is the primary sport administrator for Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field, Men’s Soccer, Men’s Basketball, Softball, Wrestling, and Women’s Golf programs. Previously, Helms served as the director of Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) at Virginia Tech, where he served as a liaison between the academic and athletic communities and as an ad hoc member of the University Athletic Committee. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Helms held positions at Michigan State University, Florida State University and Central Connecticut State University.

Joe Hernandez is an experienced professional in athlete representation, business development, and community engagement, with a career rooted in his passion for sports and leadership. As the owner of Just Win Management Group, Hernandez has represented NFL and NCAA athletes, while offering expertise in social media and branding, e-commerce, and community outreach consulting. He has regularly served as a panelist and guest speaker sharing his insights on NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities and sports marketing. In fact, he brokered the first NIL deal filmed on Florida State University’s campus. A former linebacker and graduate assistant coach for the Florida State football team, he was a member of the Seminoles’ 2013 BCS National Championship team.

A respected national leader in college athletics, Jennifer Strawley serves as Elon University’s director of athletics, officially beginning the role in August 2023. She came to Elon following 11 years at the University of Miami, most recently serving as the senior deputy director of athletics. While in Coral Gables, Florida, Strawley oversaw all day-to-day operations of the athletics department at Miami. Additionally, she served as interim director of athletics in fall 2021 and was the sport administrator for football and women’s basketball, as well as the department’s senior woman administrator. In 2021, Strawley was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Administrator of the Year. Prior to her time at Miami, Strawley worked for the NCAA as the director of academic and membership affairs. Strawley earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she played softball, serving as a two-year team captain. She completed her master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Miami.

Wes Durham is a play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ACC Network, ESPN’s network devoted to Atlantic Coast Conference sports. A highly respected and accomplished broadcaster, he calls college football and basketball games on ESPN platforms in addition to contributing to ACCN studio shows. In 2023, Durham was named the play-by-play voice for ACC Primetime Football, where he calls weekly high-profile ACC games with Tom Luginbill and Dana Boyle. During the men’s college basketball season, Durham is also one of the network’s lead game-callers. Beyond his ESPN roles, Durham has been the radio play-by-play voice for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons since 2004. Durham graduated from Elon University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. As an undergraduate, he broadcasted extensively with Elon’s WSOE student radio station, where he called 150 football and basketball games.

Nina King serves as vice president and director of athletics at Duke University, overseeing Duke’s 27 varsity sports, Campus Recreation & Physical Education Program, and the Duke University Golf Course. King was appointed to her current role at Duke after 13 years on the department’s executive leadership team and serves on the Board of Directors for various organizations, including USA Basketball, Women Leaders in Sports, and Collegiate Women Sports Awards. Previously, she served as the chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee for two years and a member of the NCAA Committee on Institutional Performance. The 2021 NCAA Division I FBS Nike Executive of the Year and 2018 Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 Class member is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received her juris doctorate degree from Tulane Law School.

Amy Privette Perko is the chief executive officer of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, an independent leadership group whose purpose is to lead change to prioritize college athletes’ education, health, safety, and success. She is the recipient of the 2020 Dick Enberg Award presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America; was named a “GameChanger” by the Sports Business Journal in 2015; and is a 2012 recipient of the prestigious NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, an award provided to six former college athletes recognizing their civic and professional contributions. A member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, Perko was a three-time Academic All-America honoree and earned All-ACC honors twice. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University graduate, she received a master’s degree from the University of Richmond.