KENOSHA, Wis. – Parkside Athletics is excited to announce the Appreciation of Differences Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Council, led by the newly appointed Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Officer and current Deputy Director of Athletics, Chris Barker. See below for the full overview of the Council, the representatives, initiatives and more.
 
What is the Appreciation of Differences EDI Council and why do we need it?
One of the most incredible and valuable aspects of college sports is that by nature college athletics creates, attracts, and fosters diversity. At UW-Parkside and beyond college athletics, our teams, our staffs, and our lockers rooms represent diversity, including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomics, religion, and much more. An athletics department's approach to embracing this diversity is critical, which is why one of the core values of Ranger IMPACT is Appreciation of Differences.
 
It is critical that we exhibit and expect not only the dignity, respect, and values that appreciate these differences, but that we are intentional about ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable atmosphere and experience for all of our student-athletes. The Appreciation of Differences EDI Council will allow us to intentionally move this important and impactful work forward in a collaborative and aligned way.
 
Who are the Council Representatives?

• Andrew Gavin – Director of Athletics
• Chris Barker – Deputy Director of Athletics, Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Officer, member of UW-Parkside EDI Council
• Hayley Treadway – Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrator, Deputy Title IX Officer, Co-Chair of Parkside Athletics Gender Equity Task Force
• Ashley Beaton – Athletics Academic Advisor, RSAAC Co-Advisor
• Sean Daniels – Assistant AD/Strategic Communications and Marketing, RSAAC Co-Advisor
• Kenny French, Faculty Athletic Board Chair
• Ramon Romero – Cross Country/Track & Field Student-Athlete, member of UW-Parkside EDI Council
• Brandon Wilson – Track & Field Student-Athlete, RSAAC EDI Officer
• Brittany Nikolic – Head Women's Soccer Coach
• Luke Reigel – Head Men's Basketball Coach
• Jazmine Neal – Volleyball and Track & Field Student-Athlete, Gender Equity Task Force representative

 
What are some of the initiatives of this Council?

• Post a monthly EDI Spotlight on the Parkside Athletics social media accounts
• Host topical forums with guest speakers
• Complete a Gender Equity and Title IX Review
• Provide EDI training for Parkside student-athletes, coaches and staff
• Align efforts with the UW-Parkside Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Council
• Align efforts with the GLIAC Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

 
Hear from Andrew Gavin & Chris Barker
Andrew Gavin - "Creating a diverse and inclusive culture that appreciates and celebrates differences is an important aspect of the core values of Ranger IMPACT," said Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics. "As our department has reflected and assessed, we celebrated our progress over the past couple of years and committed to more intentionality in our equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. We're excited to continue this work in collaborative and aligned ways with our institution, the GLIAC, and the NCAA."
 
Chris Barker - "The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work within our department and university is crucial for the development of our students, staff, campus and Racine & Kenosha communities. We have an opportunity to make an impact in many ways through intentional efforts and programming for our students and staff. As a person of color, I have felt the impact from all aspects, positive and negative, and it is my hope that we can create spaces where people from all backgrounds can thrive and develop into successful people. I look forward to collaborating with our department, campus, and the Racine & Kenosha communities to provide educational and impactful experiences. It's our job to recruit, retain, and develop students, and the EDI work we will be doing is going to continue to develop our Parkside students in to proud, successful alumni with an appreciation of differences."