Staff Bios

Shelley Johnson
Executive Director, Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy

In 2004, Shelley Johnson began her work with the Leadership Academy and in 2010 became its first full-time director. She is responsible for the administration and logistics, curriculum and facilitation, communications and marketing of the premier leadership development in collegiate athletics. She coordinates and organizes over 5,000 hours of leadership training for UNC's student-athletes, coaches, and staff annually.

Johnson maintains certification in Safe Zone, Mental Health First Aid, Haven, and Green Zone. She is a trained facilitator for The Escalation Workshop (One Love Foundation) and Habitudes (Growing Leaders) in addition to seeking teacher certification in Koru Mindfulness (The Center for Koru Mindfulness) and in Everything DiSC Workplace (Wiley & Associates)

Moreover, she participated in the Institute for Administrative Advancement - East (Women Leaders in College Sports) as well as completed the Racial Equity Institute – Phase I. She has completed over 40 courses through the Office of Human Resource and its division of Organization & Professional Development – including Train the Trainer, Carolina BEST (Blueprint for Engaged Supervision Training), and the University Leadership Education & Development (ULEAD) Program.

In 2015, she received the Ernie Williamson Award which is presented to deserving staff members of the UNC Department of Athletics. The award is given annually to the employee(s) who best exemplifies the spirit of the late Ernie Williamson, namely an "unquestioned love and loyalty for the university, the athletics department, and its student-athletes – demonstrated by an inspirational work ethic, an encouraging demeanor, and the respect and admiration of his/her co-workers."

In 2016, she was nominated for the Outstanding Encouragement of Learning & Development (OELD) Award which is given annually by the UNC University Managers Association to a supervisor or manager who actively facilitates the participation of staff members in learning activities. Her work with student-athletes garnered ACC Top 6 in Service honors for the Tar Heel Navigators Program (2014) and the Carolina Sports Leadership Summit (2015).

Cricket Lane
Associate Athletics Director, Student-Athlete Development

In 2004, Cricket began her work with the Leadership Academy. She is the Co-Lead Instructor for Carolina NAVIGATE which provides programming for 225 first-year student-athletes. This also entails training 75 student-athlete mentors in Carolina CULTIVATE. Cricket is an invaluable advocate for the Leadership Academy on the Department Executive Team.

Korie Sawyer Rich
Assistant Director, Student-Athlete Development

In 2013, Korie began her work with the Leadership Academy. She provides essential administrative support with social media and graphic design as well as the set-up, execution, and breakdown of workshops. Korie also serves as liaison between the Leadership Academy and other department units in addition to campus, community, and corporate partners.

Dana Gelin
Associate Director, Athletic Communications

In 2004, Dana began her work with the Leadership Academy. During that time, she has produced innumerable brochures, pamphlets, programs, posters, and press releases. She coordinates the Leadership Academy presence on GoHeels, in teams' online yearbooks, and throughout various department and campus publications.

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