Longtime USA Lacrosse volunteer Andrew Lee began a two-year term as chair of the organization’s Board of Directors in August. It’s not a stretch to say that he was born for this role.

In addition to serving in board roles for other nonprofits and businesses over the past two decades, Lee, who is half Seneca, has a special connection to lacrosse and its Native American heritage.

“It runs in my family’s blood, in our community’s blood,” Lee said. “Growing up, I always had a stick in my hand. I played youth and high school lacrosse in Connecticut and then went on to play at Hamilton College in central New York.”

He continues to play competitively in Colorado, where he currently lives.

“It’s an important part of my life, like it is for any Haudenosaunee person,” Lee said. “It’s much more than a game, it really is medicine.”

Just as his father did, Lee introduced the game to his three sons, carrying on an ancient Haudenosaunee tradition.

Lee began his service to USA Lacrosse by serving on the board’s Sport Growth Committee and then joined the Executive Committee in 2019 and served as vice chair from 2020-2022. He was instrumental in the selection of Marc Riccio to succeed longtime CEO Steve Stenersen last year.

“Steve Stenersen built such an incredibly strong foundation for the organization and left it in a position of strength so that Marc can use his extensive talents and experience to take USA Lacrosse to even greater heights,” Lee said.

The relationship that he has developed with Riccio through the hiring and onboarding process is key to the organization’s future success.

“In any healthy organization you want the board and the staff to work in lockstep,” Lee said.  “The goal is to strengthen that partnership in a way that benefits the organization’s mission to fuel the game’s growth and enrich the experience of participants.”

Lee sees a few main priorities that he’d like to address during his term:

• Growing and diversifying the sport, particularly in new geographies and among underrepresented communities

• Tackling the big challenges of the sport such as fragmentation, unequal access and safety

• Expanding awareness of the game’s Native heritage and an understanding of American Indians in general

One of the ways he’ll accomplish his goals is to lean on his experience as an executive at institutions such as Harvard, Aetna, and now Management Leadership for Tomorrow. Lee is familiar with working with and leading boards, serving as a chair, director or advisor on a wide array of boards for organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Tewaaraton Foundation, Harvard University, the Chickasaw Nation, the National Congress of American Indians, and 4 The Future Foundation, among others.

Key to all of the experience is his roots.

“There’s a lot to be learned from Native values,” Lee said. “Imagine the possibilities … if more people and organizations embraced the Haudenosaunee principle of seven generations, which holds that leaders have an obligation to reflect on the wisdom of those who came seven generations before and to make decisions for the benefit of those to be born seven generations ahead.”

Lee wants to ensure that the traditional Native elements of the sport —inclusiveness, creativity, respect and fun — are not lost as the sport continues to expand.

He’s also a big proponent of the effort to help lacrosse reach the biggest stage — the Olympics.

“Lacrosse returning to the Olympics would be incredible,” Lee said. “To have such visibility would be a tremendous benefit to our effort to get more sticks in hands and restore the game’s rightful place of honor on the global stage.”

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The board that Lee oversees consists of 19 dedicated volunteers who share a passion for the game. Joining the USA Lacrosse Board of Directors in 2022 are the following five individuals:

Alex Cade

A former Notre Dame goalie, Alex Cade co-founded Adrenaline Lacrosse in 2001. The company is one of the most influential companies in the sport with industry-leading events, predominantly in the western region, in addition to cutting edge, lacrosse specific, custom team products and performance apparel. He serves on the Governance Committee on the USA Lacrosse Board.

Jules Heningburg

Jules Heningburg was a two-time All-American at Rutgers who now plays for Redwoods LC in the Premier Lacrosse League. He is currently in the player pool for the U.S. men’s team, aiming to represent the country at the 2023 World Lacrosse championship in San Diego. He is also the co-founder of Mission Primed and the co-founder and president of the Black Lacrosse Alliance.

Sarah Leary

Sarah Leary was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Ivy League goalie that helped Harvard to the 1990 NCAA championship. The National Goalie of the Year her final two seasons, Leary received a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. An experienced entrepreneur with over over 25 years of business experience, Leary was the co-founder of Nextdoor and is now a venture partner with Unusual Ventures.

Brandon Perkins

Through his children’s interest in the sport, Brandon Perkins helped grow the sport in Cobb County (Ga.) before relocating to the Philadelphia area. He now serves as the COO for the West & Midwest Region for Microsoft’s enterprise commerce business unit. He is serving as a USA Lacrosse Foundation board representative on the USA Lacrosse board.

Whitney Nye

Whitney Miller Nye was a first team All-American for Princeton’s 2003 NCAA championship team. She has served on the USA Lacrosse Foundation Board of Directors since 2017 and is a Foundation board representative to the USA Lacrosse board. She previously served as a director with Cushman & Wakefield’s Baltimore office where she specialized in landlord and tenant representation.

Mikko Red Arrow

Former Hofstra All-American and professional lacrosse player Mikko Red Arrow is now the senior assistant district attorney for Iredell County in Mooresville, N.C. He is also a respected official at the college, pro and international levels and has officiated at the world championship representing the Iroquois Nationals. Red Arrow serves on the advisory board for the Premier Lacrosse League.