Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced today the individual award winners for achievements in impact & excellence with the 1-MAC Administrator and Student-Athlete awards. The 1-MAC award is presented to those that have shown tremendous impact & excellence in inclusion efforts.
Julian Jones, Senior Associate AD/Broncos Empowered and Championship Culture at Western Michigan was named winner of the 2022-23 1-MAC Administrator Award, while Buffalo football graduate student-athlete Max Michel was named winner of the 2022-23 1-MAC Student-Athlete Award.
“It is an honor to recognize Western Michigan’s Julian Jones and Buffalo’s Max Michel for their outstanding leadership and commitment to prioritizing and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion programs at their respective institutions,” said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher.
Jones led a Broncos emPOWERed program that set a new standard for student-athlete development and community engagement within the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
In addition to programming responsibilities, Jones also provided leadership for the student-athlete led Diversity Task Force which planned monthly department-wide lunch and learns, hosted notable guest speakers, and promoted active student-athlete engagement both on-campus and in the community. Additionally, he has ensured a member of the Diversity Taskforce has been a part of every hiring process from Coaches to Senior Administrators to ensure diversity, inclusion, and belonging are top of mind when hiring members of the team.
In addition to his direct programming responsibilities, Julian also spearheaded the development of Strategic Goal #4 Broncos United, the diversity and inclusion goal for the Department of Athletics Strategic plan. He is also responsible for monitoring and documenting the progress made on each goal objective based upon the strategies developed. This past academic year alone, Julian was able to ensure the implementation of at least one strategy per objective.
Jones, along with the dedicated Broncos emPOWERed staff, demonstrated exceptional commitment and innovation in advancing student-athlete development and community engagement at Western Michigan University. This 1-MAC Award is a testament to their unwavering dedication and remarkable achievements.
“In one short year, Julian has had a significant impact on our student-athletes and our efforts to develop a championship culture,” said Western Michigan Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae. “His work in starting the Broncos emPOWERed program and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment within our department have been key pride points for our department this year. He has also served as a collaborative partner in advancing the work of the student-athlete led Diversity Task Force, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations. It is exciting to celebrate this well-deserved recognition for Julian.”
A native of New Jersey, Michel quickly embraced the Queen City. In December, he held his second annual coat drive. Through his efforts, he was able to collect numerous coats, jackets, gloves and hats and donated them to the Buffalo City Mission. He also serves twice a week in the kitchen and food receiving department. He spearheaded and event with teammates to serve food to the homeless.
Michel works with Harvest House whose mission is to break down barriers of poverty by providing holistic support and marginalized community in South Buffalo. He assisted by organizing team members to help stock clothing for distributions to families with extreme needs. He also coordinated a multi-week toy drive for children of displaced families. He organized a family fun day with giveaways and free resources for communities in East Buffalo.
Michel has also coordinated a movie night for kids with disabilities and their families through Harrison’s Playmakers - a non-profit organization that promotes social inclusion and kindness with year-round sports programs and activities for kids with developmental differences and special needs.
Michel played a major role in leading a community healing response to the horrific shootings at Top Market. The team’s involvement in distributing free groceries to East Buffalo positively impacted the devastated community.
Among his numerous other volunteer ventures, Michel organized a group of teammates to work with WNY Peacemakers to distribute free groceries in East Buffalo.
Along with former teammate Jovany Ruiz-Navarro, Michel created Sport of Life International – a non-profit organization that works with current student-athletes to explore themselves outside their athletic identity and prepare them for life after sport.
Through the organization, he had new UB student-athletes clean a local park to help them engage with the Buffalo community. Additionally, he hosted a community event in the same park with free food and sports activities involving UB student-athletes from various teams. The event was held in Perkins Park, the location of a recent drive-by shooting that took the life of Columbus Brooks. The young man’s mother was at the event and spoke about the importance of community and tragedy of gun violence.
“I’m thrilled to see our Football student-athlete, Max Michel, win the 1-MAC Student-Athlete of the Year Award,” said Buffalo Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt. “His dedication to community involvement provides opportunities of engagement with our underserved and underrepresented populations in Buffalo needed to be recognize. His tireless efforts and leadership are truly making a difference in our community.”
In November of 2016, the MAC announced one of the most comprehensive Inclusion Programs in Division I intercollegiate athletics to begin during the 2017-18 academic year.
The MAC Inclusion Program has positioned the MAC as a leader within collegiate athletics. This Program has evolved and developed through the years to provide education and training opportunities, leadership development and advancement opportunities for coaches, administrators and student-athletes.
The MAC is dedicated to the student-athlete experience and well-being is a top priority. To continue to promote and strengthen the student-athletes within the MAC, the Conference Office will continue its efforts in inclusion in order to provide better support to our young adults.
About the Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference office is based in Cleveland, Ohio as the Conference office serves 12 full-time members and offer championships in 23 sports.
Founded in 1946, the Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 23 championships and is one of ten members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in five (5) states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio.
