Menu
Powered by

Insights From The Commissioner’s Chair With The Patriot League’s Jennifer Heppel

Guest Jennifer Heppel, The Patriot League
23:12 watch

The Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel sits down with ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2025 NCAA Convention to offer insight from the conference office on topics such as consensus building, making an impactful first impression and managing the spotlight as a leader. Heppel notes that advanced preparation helps her manage friction between stakeholders when she’s building consensus, pointing out that “it takes four to five times as much work [as the meeting’s length] in advance of a meeting to have a successful meeting.” Heppel and Brown also riff on completing puzzles, gleaning leadership lessons from favorite books, and navigating the spotlight as a leader, comparing Heppel’s experience in higher education and athletics to Tina Fey’s career in comedy. Heppel: “When it comes to sitting in the ‘boss seat’… relationships change when your chair changes.”

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

  • - This is 10 years in the commissioner's chair?
  • - In the industry for 30 years... leading people for the majority of that time?
  • - It seems like in collaboration there needs to be some kind of friction or competition to arrive at a creative solution.
  • - With your longevity in your role, do you know the personalities and friction points, so you can already manage the conversation in order to move it closer towards the desired end result?
  • - From your perspective, you have to know the perspective of each league AD - do they have a new president, how is that relationship going?
  • - If you're a mid-level or young professional, how you conduct yourself in meetings - people are impressed by that kind of thing.
  • - Do you set an agenda or do Presidents and ADs show up looking for your advice and guidance?
  • - Have you read or listened to a book that's had an impact on you?
  • - One tactic my mother used to calm down a child who was acting out: put them in front of a puzzle.
  • - Is that because you can relate?
  • - I wonder if there's anything in [Tina Fay's] book about how she entered the spotlight and the impact that had on her - and how you relate to that?
  • - Now you're in this position where there are a lot more eyes on you.
  • - How do you help someone adjust from campus life to the conference office?
  • - For you specifically as a leader, is there anything uncomfortable right now?
  • - There's a slight change in culture when you add or remove someone to your team - and you want to preserve your culture but bringing on someone new might be the right change. How do you navigate that?
Video
From Values To Vision With UAB’s Mark Ingram
Video
Aligning Your Values In Times Of Change With Buffalo’s Mark Alnutt & Kent State’s Randale Richmond
Video
Developing Autonomous Leaders With Central Michigan’s Amy Folan & Tangela Cheatham