Advancement of Blacks In Sports (ABIS) announced that Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree as chief operating officer (COO), Dr. Renae Myles Payne as chief administrative officer (CAO), and Jonathon Leach as director of operations & strategy.
Founder and CEO, Gary Charles, expressed how happy he was of the progress and growth of ABIS since founding the organization in 2020 during its annual Champions & Legends Fundraising Weekend May 31 – June 2 at the MGM National Harbor. Since its inception, ABIS has grown its membership to include over 450 coaches, athletes, and industry executives. This growth has allowed ABIS to hire staff and outsource staff to support the daily operations of the organization. The new staff additions bring in a wealth of leadership experience to align with the ABIS mission and work of the organization.
"We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional leaders to our team,” said Charles. “Their expertise and passion for our mission will help to continue growth in our organization, and raise funds for our programs."
As the COO for ABIS, Wicker McCree leads the strategy and planning to ensure the vision and goals of the organization are achieved. She has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, specifically college athletics at the NCAA Division I and II levels. After 14 years as the director of athletics at North Carolina Central University, Wicker McCree retired and launched WM Leadership & Legacy Coaching LLC where she provides executive coaching, leadership and cultural assessments, and strategic planning for corporate and higher education organizations. Wicker McCree also works with Duke Sports Science Institute as an associate director providing sports performance services to athletes of all levels. She serves on several community and national boards including WeCOACH, NC Sports Hall of Fame, the Gillis-Jones Institute on Ethics and Leadership, and is the chair of the Durham Sports Commission.
Myles Payne recently joined the ABIS team as the CAO and leads the daily operations of the core business functions of ABIS. She brings over 26 years of leadership experience from intercollegiate athletics at Division I and II. She is the current president of MOAA (Minority Opportunities Athletic Association) and CEO of RMP Capital Consulting LLC focused on financial and human capital and organizational development in intercollegiate athletics.
ABIS is also happy to add Jonathon Leach as director of operations & strategy. Leach will assist the organization with administrative support, process improvement, and strategies for efficient and effective operations. Leach has worked in higher education for more than 20 years and served as chief of staff for the Department of Athletics at North Carolina Central University. He currently serves as the Director of Operations for Campus Enterprises and Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at North Carolina Central University.
ABIS is a non-profit organization with a mission to boldly advocate for a culture of equity and inclusion that results in the advancement of racial, economic, and social justice for all in sports. Founded by Gary Charles, New York’s Godfather of Grassroots Basketball, in September 2020, ABIS partners with notable African Americans and social justice activists and allies. Its members include coaches, administrators, and athletes at all levels of sports, academicians, civil rights attorneys, social justice influencers, diversity, equity, and inclusion allies and advocates. Learn more about ABIS here: https://weareabis.org/
