Dr. Deena Casiero is currently the NCAA chief medical officer and senior vice president of the Sport Science Institute. She is a member of the senior staff and serves as a direct advisor on health and safety matters to the NCAA president, NCAA leadership and NCAA members. She oversees the operation and management of the Sport Science Institute and works collaboratively with the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. 

Prior to joining the NCAA, she served as the senior associate athletic director for sports medicine and head team physician at UConn. Prior to that, she was the head team physician and medical director at Hofstra University, served as the tournament physician and director of player medical services for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and worked as the assistant team physician for the NHL’s New York Islanders. She began her career with an undergraduate degree in athletic training and worked as an athletic trainer at the Division III level, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to sports medicine.

Bio Coming Soon!

Julie Max worked as a certified Athletic  Trainer at California State University , Fullerton since 1979.  She recently retired after 41 years , where she coordinated , developed and supervised ALL healthcare for CSUF student athletes. 

In 2000 Julie was elected  first female president of NATA. She served two consecutive terms. She served as a volunteer on numerous committees as well as Board of Directors at State and National levels.

After  years of service , Julie was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2007. She was also inducted into the district’s Hall of Fame and in 2023 inducted into the CSUF athletics department Hall of Fame. Julie continues speaking nationally at sports medicine conferences and now fills her “retirement time” with her next love ..
her Miniture horses!!

A 2024 Inductee to the NATA Hall of Fame, Dr. Kimberly Peer is a Full Professor at Kent State University in the MS: Athletic Training and EdD: Interprofessional Leadership programs. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Athletic Training Education Journal and has served the NATA, BOC, CAATE, REF and Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association in extensive leadership roles. 

Dr. Peer has been lauded with national, regional, and state level awards for her contributions to the profession and athletic training education, including but not limited to, NATA Fellow and Most Distinguished, National Academies of Practice Distinguished Fellow, OATA Hall of Fame, GLATA Outstanding Educator, and NATA Sayers “Bud” Miller Distinguished Educator Award, and most recently, the Gail Weldon Award of Excellence. 

Kimberly has presented on the international and national levels on ethics education and pedagogy. She has published extensively and has co-authored textbooks on professional ethics in athletic training and athletic training pedagogy.

Linda’ 35 plus years of healthcare experience boasts an extensive leadership experience across Clinical settings, Hospital systems, Physician Practices, Business Ownership, with a focus on expanding value through ancillary services and program development within health care entities. She has served in state, regional and national health care associations including the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society, Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey, National Athletic Trainers Association and Board of Certification.   She was the NATA Chair, Committee on Revenue, served as NATA Co-Chair Fair Employment Practices Work Group and currently sits on The Committee on Practice Advancement, Health Care Administration Panel.  

Linda previously served as the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society for 10 years and has contributed her leadership and expertise to multiple advisory and governance boards.   Her service includes   Harcum College Business Advisory Board, The Harcum College Alumni Award Committee, the Kensington Health Science Academy Advisory Board, the South Philadelphia High School Rehabilitation, Athletic training and Sports Medicine Advisory Board, the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Sports Medicine Advisory Board, The West Chester University Alumni Board and West Chester University Health Sciences Advisory Board.

She has been recognized throughout her career, receiving the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer in 2014, Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society and Eastern Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame awards (2018 and 2024) as well as the Philadelphia Sports Medicine Congress; Ted Quedenfeld Award in 2015.  

Linda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Student Design, Athletic Training from West Chester University and her Associate of Science degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant from Harcum College.  Linda completed her Masters of Science in 2004 at the California University of Pennsylvania.

Lindsay is a Director at GSSI and a PepsiCo R&D Fellow. She is the site lead at GSSI’s Research Headquarters in Valhalla NY and oversees the Clinical Research Program.  Lindsay came to GSSI in 2007 from Pennsylvania State University where she earned a doctorate in Kinesiology. 

Lindsay has over 60 publications, including peer-reviewed manuscripts and invited reviews and book chapters, on the topics of sports hydration, nutrition, physiology of sweating, and sweat composition.  She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Korey Stringer Institute.

Ms. Albohm was one of he first women certified AT's in the nation. She began her career as the first full time women's AT at Indiana University. She has held various positions of leadership in the NATA throughout her career, including President of the NATA Foundation and the 11th President of the NATA from 2008-2012. Ms. Albohm has received numerous awards and recognition including being inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1999.

As a clinician, in addition to being a pioneer as an AT in a sports medicine clinic, Marje served on the medical staff of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and the 1996 Atlanta Games. Throughout her career she has been an advocate for advancing the practice of athletic training in physician practices and throughout healthcare. She received her BS from Valparaiso University and her MS with a specialization in athletic training from Indiana State University. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the CAATE Board of Directors, liaising to the Residency and Fellowship Council.

Mollie Pillman is thrilled to be serving athletic trainers every day as Executive Director of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). In her role, she leads initiatives that advance the athletic training profession and support over 75,000 ATs in the US and beyond. Mollie holds master's degrees in health administration and business as well as her Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) credentials. Her career reflects a deep commitment to empowering healthcare professionals and fostering inclusive, forward-thinking organizational cultures.

Sue Falsone, PT, DPT, MS, SCS, ATC, CSCS, COMT, FNAP, is a nationally recognized leader in sports physical therapy, athletic training, and performance optimization. She is the President and Founder of Structure & Function Education and currently serves as the Director of Movement and Return to Performance for the Houston Texans. In addition, she owns Falsone Consulting and is an Associate Professor in the Athletic Training Programs at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences.

Dr. Falsone brings a wealth of experience from elite sport, having previously served as Head of Athletic Training and Sports Performance for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and as Head Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She also held the role of Vice President of Performance Physical Therapy and Team Sports at Athletes’ Performance (now EXOS). Today, she continues to consult with professional athletes and organizations, helping bridge the gap between rehabilitation and high-level performance.

An accomplished author, Dr. Falsone wrote Bridging the Gap from Rehab to Performance, reflecting her expertise in transitioning athletes safely and effectively back to sport. She holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Daemen College, along with a Master of Science in Human Movement with a concentration in Sports Medicine from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Falsone is board certified as a Sports Clinical Specialist through the American Physical Therapy Association and holds multiple credentials across athletic training, strength and conditioning, and orthopedic manual therapy. She is also a registered yoga teacher, bringing a holistic and movement-focused approach to her work in human performance.

Bio Coming Soon!

Bio Coming Soon!

Dr. Trevor M. Bates holds a Doctor of Health Sciences in Leadership and Organizational Behavior from A.T. Still University, a Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Millikin University. He is an Ohio licensed Athletic Trainer (AT) and nationally Board of Certification ® Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). 

Dr. Bates is a mission-driven executive leader with more than two decades of progressive leadership experience across healthcare, higher education, regulated professions, and complex non-profit governance environments. Serving in roles ranging from a clinical athletic trainer to college president, he brings demonstrated expertise in board partnership, strategic planning, advocacy engagement, financial stewardship, and organizational transformation. He offers significant experience in conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, strategic planning, accreditation, compliance, workforce development, association service, and regulatory leadership. 

Throughout his career, he has engaged healthcare, higher education, non-profit, and government leaders to advance education, healthcare workforce, and community impact initiatives. He has successfully operated within complex environments and serving as a professional resources to address leadership and organizational challenges as a strategic consultant and executive leader. He is focused on providing disciplined strategic execution, strong communication, collaborative leadership, and a steady, governance-centered approach to advancing mission-driven individuals, units, and organizations.