Stony Brook Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron sits down with ADU’s Steph Garcia Cichosz at the 2023 NACDA Convention to discuss leading through authentic connection with student-athletes, head coaches, staff, alumni and institutional stakeholders. Heilbron shares his strategies for building a culture of trust for the Seawolves, including an “open door” policy for providing and receiving feedback, meaningful dialogue with leadership on the academic side of campus, and a level of responsiveness that prioritizes the student-athlete experience. Heilbron: “People use the term ‘family’ a lot but don’t always embody that in how they lead.”
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