ABOUT | uniUSA

MISSION & VALUES

UniUSA is the official representative and governing body for the United States in all FISU events; Winter and Summer Universiade’s (World University Games), World University Championships and FISU America Games.

In 1967, the United States Collegiate Sports Council (USCSC) officially presented its credentials to the General Assembly of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) at the Tokyo World University Games. They were subsequently accepted by the FISU General Assembly and became the governing body for the United States in all FISU events.

As the FISU member organization representing the United States, UniUSA owns the rights to US participation in all FISU events.

Purposes of UniUSA:
1. To promote the development of international collegiate sports on an amateur basis.
2. To support and advance physical education and student wellness internationally.
3. To foster meaningful relationships and cooperation among students of all countries in support of global collegiate sport unity.
4. To increase awareness and visibility of collegiate sports in all parts of the world.
5. To sponsor and coordinate seminars, conferences, and professional development opportunities related to collegiate sports.
6. To organize and support United States collegiate teams to participate in FISU and other international competition sanctioned by FISU.
8. To promote international understanding and cultural exchange through international collegiate sports programs and evets.

UNIUSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

UniUSA is a not-for-profit company governed by a 12 person board comprised of representatives from NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CSC and NACDA.

Dan Guerrero

President

Lori Thomas

Executive Director / Secretary-General

Lori Thomas serves as the Director of Volunteer Operations, where she is responsible for the recruitment, training, and management of thousands of volunteers across the Kansas City region. With a strong passion for sports, community engagement, and event coordination, Lori plays a key role in ensuring the execution of volunteer programs that contribute to the success of the world’s largest sporting competition.

Lori briefly served as President of the Kansas City Pro Volleyball team during its early stages, overseeing business operations, strategic direction, and community engagement efforts. She has 27 years of experience in collegiate sports administration, including 10 years as Commissioner of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and 16 years with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In her NAIA role, she managed the departments of Membership, Champions of Character, Human Resources, and Championships, overseeing 23 national championship events, along with logistics, contracts, merchandising, and community engagement.

Outside of her professional career, Lori is actively involved in volunteer leadership and community service. She serves as the Executive Director/Secretary General for the United States – International University Sports Federation and has represented the U.S. at six World University Games across Asia, Europe, and the USA. Additionally, Lori serves on the board of The Keepers Legacy and the North Carolina 2029 Summer University Games Organizing Committee.

Bob Vecchione

2nd Vice President UniUSA, NACDA

Bob Vecchione retired as Chief Executive Officer of NACDA on December 31, 2022, after serving the organization in multiple roles for 30 years. He is currently serving the Association as CEO – Emeritus.

Prior to taking over as CEO, he was responsible for orchestrating the growth and management of the Association, both internally and externally. During his tenure, NACDA initiated multiple programs that provided value-added benefits to the membership, created a robust roster of nationally recognized corporate sponsors, and leveraged those components to enhance what is now the largest convention within the Intercollegiate Marketplace.

Dave Roach

At-Large Member

Dave was involved in intercollegiate athletics for 45 years, 15 as a swimming coach and 30 years as a Director of Athletics at three Division 1 institutions (Brown, Colgate and Fordham). He served as an assistant swimming coach for the United States at the 1985 World University Games in Kobe, Japan.

He was appointed the Director of the Sports Management program, which he founded at Rhode Island College in 1983. He recently retired from RIC and volunteers at the Providence, R.I. Veterans Hospital.

Will Roleson

CSC Representative, Associate Executive Director, College Sports Communicators

Will Roleson was promoted to Associate Executive Director of College Sports Communicators in January 2017 following 5 ½ years as Director of Internal Operations. His primary responsibilities are convention management and financial operations with added additional duties with staff management and corporate partner outreach. During his tenure on staff, he has launched the Membership Appreciation Week, Convention Attendance Grant and National Champion Communicators programs.

Roleson served as Interim Executive Director of College Sports Communicators from August 2024-March 2025, In that role, he provided strategic leadership for the association, coordinated corporate partnership sales, managed the full-time staff and was the primary liaison with the executive board of directors.

Roleson joined CSC following six years with the Horizon League office in Indianapolis, lastly as Associate Commissioner for Communications and Multimedia. At the HL, he started the first conference-wide video-streaming platform in 2005 – the Horizon League Network – while overseeing the communications team, serving as liaison to the League’s media partners and coordinating scheduling for men’s and women’s basketball. He was the local media coordinator for the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2005 and the Men's Final Four in 2006 and 2010. In addition, he was an at-large representative on the CoSIDA Board of Directors from 2006-09.

Previously, Roleson was sports information director at Kent State University from 1999-2004 after three years as assistant SID. In 2002, he was the media contact for KSU’s men’s basketball team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Among the student-athletes he promoted were future pro standouts Antonio Gates, James Harrison and Josh Cribbs. He also served as assistant editor at Host Communications Publishing in Lexington, Ky., from 1994-96 and sports information intern at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1993-94.

A native of Brookville, Indiana, he graduated cum laude from Miami University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and earned an MBA from the University of Southern Indiana in 2023.

BTI EVENTS STAFF

Under UniUSA's strategic direction, BTI Events handles logistics and offers essential resources, ensuring seamless participation for U.S. athletes in global competitions.

Nels Hawkinson

CEO & Deputy Head of Delegation