A Chat In the Garden

DeeDee Merritt came to the NCAA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016. At the national office, she administers the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program, the Division II and III portions of the Pathway Program and the Emerging Leaders Seminar as well as assisting with the Leadership Institute, of which she is an alumna.

Merritt came to the NCAA after more than 15 years at Milwaukee, where she served in positions including assistant athletics director, director of special projects (global inclusion and engagement), and coordinator of women’s services and advocacy.  During the time in the Athletics department, Merritt created life skills programming for college athletes and professional development for administrators, managed Horizon League championship tournaments, coordinated athletcs and recreation facility scheduling, supervised the academic monitoring program; and executed campus training workshops on bystander intervention, relationship violence and leadership training.  She served as chair of the Horizon League Life Skills Coordinator Group, was the advisor to the  Milwaukee Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and administrative liaison to the Horizon League SAAC.