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Kasey Konte CEFMA Emerging Leader Award graphic

Kasey Konte Honored with CEFMA Emerging Leader Award

| By: JCUSID

Konte is a star in the Athletic Department as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations

CLEVELAND – A star administrator in the John Carroll Athletic Department has been recognized with a prestigious award from a national organization. 

The Collegiate Event and Facilities Management Association (CEFMA) has crowned Kasey Konte as the recipient of the 2026 CEFMA Emerging Leader Award.

Konte serves as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations at John Carroll University, a role she has starred in since her arrival in August 2024. 

CEFMA announced the honor during the organization Event and Facility Managers Appreciation Week, which "recognizes the vital contributions of athletics facilities, events, and operations professionals across the collegiate landscape." Per the CEFMA release, the Emerging Leader Award recognizes "individuals with five years of experience or less who have demonstrated exceptional performance, leadership potential, and meaningful impact within athletics facilities, events, or operations."

"I'm truly blown away and incredibly grateful to receive the 2026 CEFMA Emerging Leader Award," said Konte. "This recognition means so much to me, not just personally, but as a reflection of the support and opportunities I've been given at John Carroll. I'm so thankful to be part of a community that invests in its people and inspires us to keep striving for more."

Konte was chosen for the award thanks to her outstanding operational leadership, adaptability across sport seasons, and her critical role in major athletics initiatives at John Carroll.

In her role, Konte manages all John Carroll athletic facilities and guides all operational aspects of the department. The Lake Catholic grad serves as a primary game administrator and manages events across all three athletic seasons and over the summer. 

Besides managing the everyday operations for facilities and gamedays, Konte oversees football operations. In this role, the Northeast Ohio native works closely with the head football coach on logistics. In the winter/spring crossover season, Konte plays a vital role in scheduling field time, coordinating snow removal, handling schedule changes, and more. In all seasons, Konte guides staffing responsibilities for gameday and facility operations. In the summer, Konte ensures coaches and outside groups have everything they need to run successful summer camps. 

Konte has showcased fantastic leadership in executing major events. Konte has helped lead the Blue Carpet Awards, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Homecoming Weekend (featuring multiple athletic events and a large-scale tailgate), and several major summer camps and showcases. 

Over the last year, one of Konte's most significant accomplishments occurred in the opening of John Carroll's new Athletic, Wellness, and Event Center (AWE), a shared facility between Athletics and Recreation. Konte collaborated closely with campus partners to support the successful transition into the gorgeous new facility. In the summer of 2025, Konte led the development of the Hall of Fame hallway, coordinated with Sports Medicine on transitioning spaces, and handled the relocation of six programs into new locker rooms prior to fall practices. In addition, Konte guided the transition of JCU's intramural gym into a varsity auxiliary gym and the installation of new branding across all parts of the department.

During the 2025-26 academic year, Konte served as tournament manager for the NCAA Region V Men's Wrestling Regional Tournament and the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament's First and Second Rounds at JCU. Konte also prepared JCU facilities for high-level events, including track meets and wrestling invitationals in the AWE, conference tournaments at Don Shula Stadium, and a first round football playoff game. 

"Kasey is one of the most dependable and impactful professionals in our department," said Dejan Mladenovic, Senior Deputy Athletic Director and Head Men's Soccer Coach. "Her organization, professionalism, and ability to manage multiple priorities at a high level make her an invaluable leader and an outstanding example of the future of our profession."

As part of the award, Konte will receive a complimentary 2026–27 CEFMA membership, registration for the 2026 CEFMA Convention, hotel accommodations at the NACDA Convention Hotel, a travel stipend, and public recognition during the 2026 CEFMA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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