Leadership Awards Criteria Announced

             Charlotte, N.C.  (March 15, 2010)-- Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc., a retained national executive search firm, and the Southern Conference, the nation's fifth oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association, announced the nomination and selection criteria for up to 24 student-athletes for the fifth annual Coleman Lew Leadership Awards.

            The awards recognize scholar-athletes from each of the Southern Conference's 12 member institutions. Coaches, faculty athletic representatives, and senior woman administrators nominate up to three male and three female student-athletes from the junior class (class of 2011). Nominees are selected based on leadership, academic excellence, and athletic achievement in both the college environment and the community.

            Athletic directors and representatives from Coleman Lew & Associates will conduct one-on-one interviews with the finalists before determining award recipients.  One male and one female award winner will be selected from each institution.  The winners will be awarded congratulatory plaques to recognize their achievements. During their search for post-graduation employment, each of the award winners will have access to Coleman Lew consultants for advice and career coaching.

            According to Kenneth D. Carrick, Jr., partner-managing director, "Our firm, as an education partner with the Southern Conference, is proud to present the Coleman Lew Leadership Awards to these outstanding student-athletes. These individuals will represent the best in academic performance, athletic skill, and leadership ability."

            "We are proud to once again work with Coleman Lew & Associates to recognize the bright young leaders of tomorrow who populate Southern Conference programs," said John Iamarino, commissioner of the Southern Conference. "It is a terrific program designed to bolster the professional opportunities of some of our best student-athletes."

The Southern Conference is the nation's fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. It sponsors championships in 19 sports including men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, football, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track & field, softball and baseball.

Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc., founded in 1979 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a international retained executive search firm that recruits board members, officers, and senior level executives for national and international companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations. The firm also provides customized leadership development services to organizations seeking to maximize corporate performance. Member, Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC).