 The Delaware School for the Deaf is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Werner as the new Athletic Director.
Dr. Eva Hartmann, currently serving as the Dean of Students at DSD, temporarily filled the role of interim Athletic Director following the departure of Nicole Jones, who has taken on the position of Athletic Director at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Please join the rest of us and the DSD Blue Hawks community in congratulating Jeffrey on his new role!  Happy Athletic Administrators Week!
Did you know this week is Interscholastic Athletic Administration Week? That’s exactly why I want to pause and recognize each and every one of them in the ESDAA. This week, we celebrate the leaders who make education-based athletics possible. They are the ones scheduling games, supporting coaches, ensuring safety, and most importantly….creating opportunities for student-athletes to grow, compete, and succeed. Day after day, month after month, and year after year, the work of an Athletic Director often goes unseen. But I see them. I know the weight they carry. What they do could easily be the work of three or four people—and still, they show up for their school and community every single day. Their work matters. Their work for ESDAA matters. Their work for student-athletes matters. THEY matter. These ESDAA Athletic Directors are amazing people! If you see them, be sure to thank them for all they do! ESDAA Athletic Directors, Thank you for your dedication, your vision, and your commitment to building school pride and shaping the student-athlete experience—not only within your school but across the entire ESDAA community. I appreciate you—today and every day. Happy Interscholastic Athletic Administration Week! - ESDAA President Kallie Mendenhall The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) shared that Dr. Christine Lewis will be the new Director of Student Life & Athletics.
The previous Athletic Director David Simanski is currently holding the position as the Manager of Special Education inside the Central Office along with the school Superintendent. Dr. Lewis can be reached at [email protected] for the athletics schedule. Congratulations! After a long-time Athletic Director Carolynne Reed of the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf announced that she will step down from the helm.
Patrick Gillepse was selected to serve as the next Athletic Director for the Colts. One of the Patrick's big task as a new Athletic Director at Katzenbach would be preparing to host the upcoming ESDAA Division 2 Soccer Tournament on the weekend of October 17 & 18. The Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association look forward to have Patrick joining the aboard to lead and making postiive impacts on the MKSD student-athletes. 
ESDAA would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Nicole Jones for her unwavering dedication and exceptional hard work during her tenure as ESDAA Secretary and at Delaware School for the Deaf. We sincerely wish her the very best of luck in her new role as Athletic Director at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Her presence and contributions will be deeply missed, but we are confident that you will continue to excel and lead FSDB Athletics to great success.
*** Press Release from Florida SDB *** We are proud to announce that Nicole Jones will be joining our school as the new Athletic Director, beginning August 26. Nicole brings with her an impressive 14 years of experience working in education, including 7 years as a PE/Health Teacher and Athletic Director at the Delaware School for the Deaf. Under her guidance, the sports program at Delaware flourished—offering more opportunities for student-athletes and fostering a culture of inclusion and excellence. She was the basketball head coach for 10 years and received numerous awards during her time. Her favorite memory was winning the ESDAA championship back to back. In 2017, she received the NDIAA coach of the year. She also served as secretary for ESDAA and is currently the secretary for NDIAA. Her leadership not only shaped the athletic program but also empowered students to grow as confident, collaborative, and resilient individuals. We are thrilled to welcome Nicole to what will be her new home for many years to come. Her passion, experience, and vision will shape the future of our athletic department—and we can’t wait to see the incredible journey ahead. Welcome, Nicole Jones and your family, to ours! #PassionPridePerseverance #FSDBAthletics  *** Press Release from Maryland School for the Deaf ***
Please join us in welcoming Elena Ciccarelli as the new Athletic Director at MSD. Elena has been a dedicated member of the MSD community since 2015, serving in a variety of roles that reflect her commitment to student development and well-being. She began her career as a Residential Child and Youth Care Practitioner in the Student Life department, then supported our younger learners as a teacher’s aide in the Elementary Department. She later taught Physical Education for four years. Her leadership in athletics began to take shape through her work as co-interim Assistant Athletic Director, a role she formally assumed full time in July 2022. Most recently, she served as interim Athletic Director during the 2024–2025 school year. Over the past decade, she has coached several high school and Special Olympics teams, including guiding the 2018 Special Olympics Unified Soccer team to a State Championship. She also served as assistant coach for the varsity girls’ basketball team during its back-to-back national championship seasons, later stepping into the head coach role. A standout student-athlete herself, Elena made history at Gallaudet University as the first to compete in three varsity sports—women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and softball—during all four years of her collegiate career. In recognition of her excellence in leadership, athletics, and service, she was named an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2015. Elena is also a gold medalist with the USA Deaf Women’s Basketball Team, having earned top honors at the 2014 U21 World Championship in Samsun, Turkey, and the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship in Taoyuan, Taiwan. We welcome her leadership in this new role. |