The MPSSAA is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Miranda Jones as our new Female Athletics Program Specialist. Ms. Jones enters the position with 15 years of experience as a coach, administrator, and physical education instructor at the collegiate level.
Most recently, Ms. Jones did a three-year stint working for investment management firm, T. Rowe Price, after 12 years as the Head Field Hockey Coach and NCAA Compliance Officer for McDaniel College. At McDaniel, she prided herself in overseeing a program focused on competitive excellence, academic achievement, and the development of female leaders. Her teams consistently pushed for postseason play while also being named a National Academic Team every year during her tenure. Many of her players were visible campus leaders in both athletics and academics.
Outside her athletic department duties, Ms. Jones served in leadership roles and enjoyed collaborating with peers. She was on the region’s field hockey All-American Committee, serving her last two seasons as chair. She advised student organizations, such as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority, and Badminton Club. Having been a previous recipient and former mentor of another recipient of the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Grant, she served on the NCAA committee to select institutions to offer this opportunity to other aspiring coaches and administrators. Due to her experience, the NCAA invited her to attend the Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement, as well as be a facilitator twice at the Career in Sports Forum, an annual seminar for selected collegiate student-athletes.
Ms. Jones will be responsible for providing technical assistance to local school systems, state tournament committees with emphasis on girls/women’s sports, promotion of girls/women’s sports, and compliance with equitable participation opportunities for girls/women’s sports. Ms. Jones will have primary responsibilities in serving as the initial point of contact for female sports administered by the MPSSAA, updating and maintaining the MPSSAA website and social media, maintaining sport record books, MPSSAA publication development and dissemination, coordination of the MPSSAA Minds in Motion program, and serving as the primary liaison between corporate sponsors and the MPSSAA.
Please join us in welcoming Melissa to the MPSSAA!