Tamara Satterfield, M.S., is a counselor, educator, and student-athlete advocate. She is also the  founder of First Chance U, which helps young people discover their purpose, prepare for their future, and reach academic, athletic, and personal success.

For the past five years, Tamara has worked specifically with student-athletes in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools — the 14th-largest school district in the United States. In this role, she has supported students and families as they navigate athletic identity, academic expectations, post-secondary planning, and the social-emotional realities that come with balancing school and sport.

Her professional journey has taken her into counseling offices, classrooms, weight rooms, athletic departments, and family spaces — helping student-athletes recognize their strengths, clarify their goals, and build confidence in who they are becoming. No matter the setting, her mission has remained the same.

Believing that every young person deserves to be supported, prepared, and believed in, Tamara founded First Chance U to ensure student-athletes have access to personalized guidance, NCAA eligibility support, academic planning, and holistic development — especially for families who need clarity and direction.

Too often, talented students miss opportunities not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked information, structure, and guidance. Her passion is to change that.​

​Tamara is committed to helping student-athletes discover who they are, build strong academic and athletic direction, and develop the confidence and life skills needed for success. Her goal is to guide them in maximizing their college and career opportunities while encouraging them to step courageously into the future. She wants every student-athlete and their family to feel prepared, empowered, and option-ready when the time comes.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 13. Seasons 1 - 12 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree is a transformational leader and innovative strategist whose
influence extends across higher education, sports tourism, amateur, and professional sports.
With more than 30 years of leadership experience, Dr. Wicker McCree has built a distinguished
career as a student-athlete, coach, educator, athletics administrator, and executive leader. In
2008, she made history as the first woman to hold the permanent position of Director of Athletics
at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). During her 14-year tenure, she successfully
guided NCCU’s transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS), leading the development and implementation of the university’s first
comprehensive strategic plan for reclassification.

Under her leadership, NCCU Athletics experienced unprecedented growth and success. The
department increased its operating budget from $2 million to $15 million, increased fundraising
by 65% during her final five years, and enhanced academic achievement with student-athletes
achieving a cumulative GPA above 3.0 and an APR of 984. Competitive successes included four
MEAC Men’s Basketball Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, a MEAC
Football Championship and Celebration Bowl appearance, and the 2014 HBCU Men’s Tennis
National Championship. She also led major facility enhancements, including football stadium
renovations, arena upgrades, and new technology investments. Her leadership experience
includes service on the NCAA Division I Council, NCAA Research Committee, NCAA Division
II Volleyball Committee, FCS Football Regional Ranking Committee, North Carolina Sports
Hall of Fame Board, Durham Sports Commission Board, and the Local Organizing Committee
for the 2029 World University Games.

Today, Dr. Wicker McCree serves as Founder and CEO of WM Leadership & Legacy Coaching,
LLC, helping leaders and organizations strengthen strategy, leadership capacity, and
organizational effectiveness. She also serves as Senior Associate Director at the Duke Sports
Sciences Institute, advancing strategic initiatives, community engagement, and innovative sports
performance programming. A highly respected consultant and advisor, she serves as Vice
President of The PICTOR Group, President-Elect of WeCOACH, Chief Operating Officer of
Advancing Beyond in Sports (ABIS), and as an NCAA Peer Reviewer for institutions
transitioning to Division I membership.

An accomplished global ambassador for sport and education, Dr. Wicker McCree has
represented the United States internationally. As a member of North Carolina’s World University
Games Bid Committee, she presented strategic elements of the state’s bid for the 2027 World
University Games to the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in Brussels, Belgium.
She also volunteered with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee during the 2024
Paris Olympic Games and created international experiences for HBCU volleyball student-
athletes and coaches through opportunities in Europe, the Caribbean, and Southern Africa.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 13. Seasons 1 - 12 can be found on 200plus.expert.

This episode is a replay from Season 10, August 2023. Brandy Gresham was Assistant Director of Athletic Counseling and is now Assistant Director of Performance Psychology and Wellness Services at University of Michigan Athletics.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 13. Seasons 1 - 12 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Shauniece Steele serves as the Athletic Director at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati,
where she leads one of Ohio’s premier high schools. A passionate advocate for education-based
athletics, she is committed to creating an environment where student-athletes develop as leaders,
competitors, and individuals through meaningful relationships, high expectations, and
transformational experiences.

A proud Walnut Hills High School graduate (Class of 2010), Shauniece embraced every
opportunity as a student, lettering in volleyball, indoor track, and outdoor track while helping
capture multiple state and national championships. She was also actively involved in the
Marching Blue & Gold, student government, and numerous student organizations. She continued
her academic and athletic career at the University of Akron on academic and athletic scholarships, earning Academic Honor Roll recognition and contributing to the 2013 Mid-American Conference Championship Track & Field team. Her leadership extended beyond athletics through Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, where she served in executive leadership roles that further shaped her commitment to servant leadership and student development.

After serving in several roles throughout Cincinnati Public Schools, Shauniece returned to her
alma mater with a passion for providing student-athletes the same life-changing opportunities
that shaped her own journey. A lifelong learner, she earned a Master of Science in Sport
Administration from the University of Cincinnati and holds the RAA, RMAA, CAA, and CMAA
professional certifications through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators
Association. An active leader in athletic administration at the regional and state levels, she has
been recognized with the SWOADA Middle School Athletic Director of the Year Award, the
SWOADA Citation Award, and the OIAAA Bruce D. Brown Award for outstanding leadership
and service.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 13. Seasons 1 - 12 can be found on 200plus.expert.

This episode is a replay from Season 5, November 2018. Deandra Duggans was formerly with the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Aces. She recently accepted a position with the National Women's Soccer League as Vice President, Chief Business Officer.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Known as a gamechanger, and an inceptionist, Vanessa is perhaps one of the best engagement
marketers in the arena today. She cut her professional teeth working her way up ladders to serve as
Director of Corporate Communications, Events and Marketing for the U.S. arm of the largest watch
company in the world, the premier engagement jeweler in the US, and the largest Jewish Community Center on the Eastern Seaboard.

Companies charged her with strategic counsel and she defines her sphere as a combination of
engagement marketing with public and community relations accounted for. Among her most
prestigious accomplishments were product placement partnerships with motion picture studios, prop
masters and stylists resulting in tripling the volume of global sales. Producing multi-media stories with high profile titles including the 2004 Athens Olympics Story for the Today Show, Roland Garros Tennis Coverage, and a 30 Minute Segment for Fine Living shot entirely in Switzerland as well as 5 separate luxury brand’s introductions to the U.S. market.

Vanessa’s creativity allows for hands on relationship marketing as she connects like-minds for strategic wins counting on a treasure of life experiences to differentiate her from the ordinary. Her ability to create and implement concepts is complete with execution that only comes from a practiced professional. She is well versed in all aspects customer engagement and retention and has been honored with the Industry Events of the Year Award given by Accessories Magazine, 2003.

As an entrepreneur she launched VMedia LLC to create and execute “Events with Purpose”. Her first event The North Atlantic Volleyball Showcase (NAVS) was a combine created to take on the mission of providing high school volleyball players with the opportunity to obtain scholarships by exhibiting their skills in front of college coaches - it has facilitated $32.5 million scholarships dollars to date.

She launched NYC Liberty Games in partnership with NYC Mayor David Bloomberg an international
destination tournament that saw participation from China, Canada and Israel. Currently, she is the founder and driving force behind Sports Fan Nation (SFN), a SaaS enterprise focused on revolutionizing the live event, fan engagement experience. Vanessa's personal and professional experience particularly in the sports industry has given her a keen insight into the needs of both the fan and the organizations. SFN seeks to provide a digital sponsorship platform to monetize personal broadcasting and User Generated Content on behalf of an organization.

Vanessa also acts as a community volunteer as the AAU volleyball chairwoman for the NY Metro Region of the US. She is the mother of three children, who all excelled athletically to play collegiate sports, one of whom has won 2 NCAA Championships, was a US National Team athlete and played volleyball professionally all over the world.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Dr. Lavalais enters her fourth year at Alabama State University. She currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, Chief of Staff, and Senior Woman Administrator, where she has been a driving force since 2022. Initially joining as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Experience, she quickly rose to oversee internal and strategic operations, student outcomes, and key departmental initiatives.

Her leadership reflects over a decade of success in advancing student-athlete academic excellence, with programs under her direction consistently leading the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in academic performance, with student-athletes earning a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher in eight out of ten years across her tenures at Jackson State University (five consecutive years) and Alabama State University (three consecutive years). 

Prior to her current role, Dr. Lavalais held impactful leadership positions at Hampton University (2019–2022), where she served as Director of Athletics Academic Support & Life Skills. There, she guided student-athlete success initiatives, advised SAAC and Chi Alpha Sigma, and helped the department achieve record-setting Dean’s List recognitions. At Jackson State University (2013–2018), she served as Associate Athletic Director for Academics and Senior Woman Administrator, leading efforts that resulted in consecutive years of SWAC-leading GPAs, a 981 APR score, and an 82% graduation rate. She also created the “S.I.P. T.E.A.” mentorship series to empower professional women on campus and served as acting liaison to the President’s Office in the absence of the Athletic Director, managing the department’s daily operations.

Dr. Lavalais began her career in athletics as an academic advisor at Alabama State University in 2010 and later served as Director of Academic Enhancement at Grambling State University. She has also contributed to student-athlete development as a special assistant volunteer to the AD at Baton Rouge Community College, an intern at LSU, and a volunteer Girls Basketball Coach at Marksville High School.

Dr. Lavalais is a recognized leader in college athletics, honored with the 2014 N4A Professional Promise Award, the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from Southern Arkansas University, and the 2025 SWAC Game ChangzHer Award.
Her national service includes roles on the NCAA Committee on Academics, the NCAA Accelerating Academic Support Program (AASP) Selection Committee, and serves as a Circle lead for the Women Leaders in Sports Business and Administration group. She is also a certified professional through the N4A and was instrumental in securing N4A program certification for JSU’s AAEC, a ten-year certification providing a stamp of approval from the national organization. 

A committed educator, Dr. Lavalais is an adjunct professor at Belhaven University and Alabama State University, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in sport management, leadership, event management, ethics, and finance. Her blend of academic leadership, program innovation, and dedication to student success continues to shape the future of collegiate athletics. 

She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration (Higher Education) from Jackson State University, a Master’s in Sports Administration from Grambling State University, and a Bachelor’s in Applied Science with a concentration in Health, Kinesiology & Recreation from Southern Arkansas University, where she was also a student-athlete and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Shani Bowens is an emerging leader in collegiate athletics with a passion for basketball operations, student-athlete development, and program administration. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Bowens earned her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, with minors in Marketing and Sport Sales, from Northern Illinois University (NIU) in August 2024.

During her time at NIU, she served as Head Manager for the women's basketball program from 2021 to 2024 before being promoted to Graduate Assistant and Director of Basketball Operations for the 2024–25 season. In these roles, she gained extensive experience overseeing team travel, recruiting operations, compliance, game-day logistics, and the day-to-day management of a Division I basketball program.

Bowens currently serves as the Administrative Assistant for the University of Wisconsin Women's Basketball program, where she supports recruiting, basketball operations, team travel, special events, and administrative initiatives. Her commitment to excellence, organization, and relationship-building has made her a valuable member of championship-caliber programs.

Dedicated to advancing opportunities for women in sports, Bowens is passionate about mentoring others, creating meaningful experiences for student-athletes, and continuing to grow as a leader in collegiate athletics.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

This is a replay from Season 2. Dr. Tiese Roxbury, former NCAA Executive and current Executive Director of Student Success & Retention for Bennett College, joined A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Jenae Rogers is a Partnership Marketing Activation Coordinator for the Memphis Grizzlies, specializing in the execution of integrated brand partnerships across digital, in-arena, and community platforms. She leads the coordination and delivery of partnership activations, ensuring each campaign aligns with strategic objectives and delivers measurable value.

In her role, she manages campaign implementation, oversees partner deliverables, and collaborates cross-functionally to bring creative concepts to life while maintaining strong partner relationships.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University, Class of 2023, and a Master of Science in Sport and Leisure Studies from the University of Memphis, Class of 2025.

Jenae's experience includes internships with the Center for Athletic Academic Services (CAAS) at the University of Memphis and as an Undergraduate Enrollment Intern within Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management. She also interned with the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, supporting Corporate Sales and Premium Services.

She is passionate about elevating partner brands, enhancing fan engagement, and executing high-impact marketing programs in fast-paced, results-driven environments.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.