Candidate for President Elect
Robert Romano
Having been an active and dedicated member of the Sport and Recreation Law Association for the past five years, two of them serving in the role of Member Finance Officer, it is with great enthusiasm that I submit my declaration of candidacy for the office of President. I do so with a strong commitment to SRLA’s mission and its devotion to the study and advancement of sport and recreation law, a deep appreciation for the membership, and with a clear vision for how this organization can continue to grow as a vibrant, inclusive, and impactful scholarly community.
Sport and recreation law is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field that shapes participation, governance, safety, equity, and integrity across amateur, professional, recreational, and community-based contexts. SRLA plays a vital role in advancing scholarship, fostering professional development, and creating a forum for meaningful dialogue on the legal issues that influence sport and recreation at all levels. As President, my primary objective would be to strengthen these core functions while positioning the organization to respond proactively to the evolving legal and social landscape.
As for my background, I am currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Legal Studes at St. John’s University, Queens, New York, while also serving/served as a Visiting Professor at Instituto de Empresa (IE Business School) and Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), and as an adjunct professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law (Philadelphia, PA), and Quinnipiac University School of Law (Hamden, CT).
As for my education, after attending Springfield College, where I was a member of the football team, I obtained my Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, LA, Master’s in Sports Management from Columbia University, New York, NY, and my LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law from Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), Madrid, Spain.
Outside of academia, I serve as a both a judge-arbitrator for the State of Connecticut and an attorney, holding a license in both state and federal court, wherein my legal practice focuses on sport law and sport and entertainment related issues. Additionally, I have published over 180 articles in the area of sport and sport law (shout-out to Holt Hackney and Hackey Publications), while also making regular guest appearances to discuss such issues on the Stan Simpson Show, WFAN, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, along with a host of other local and national radio stations.
My candidacy is derived from my gratitude to the sport legal profession, an area I have been fortunate to enjoy for the last 17 years. I am enthusiastic about the challenge ahead and am eager to serve.
Thank you for your consideration and I truly appreciate your support.
Candidates for Treasurer
Jim Evans
Jim Evans, JD, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor and Internship Coordinator for the Sport Marketing and Management program at Indiana University-Bloomington (IU). He is running for the position of Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA) Treasurer.
Jim earned a JD from the University of Alabama School of Law, then worked in private practice for several years in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, focusing predominantly on civil and commercial litigation. After briefly working in student-athlete support services at Louisiana State University, he earned a PhD in Sport Management from The Ohio State University. Before IU, Jim held full-time faculty appointments at Viterbo University, University of North Alabama, and University of Southern Mississippi.
I joined SRLA and attended my first conference as a master’s student 10 years ago, in New Orleans, in 2016. Since then, this has been the most important professional organization I have been involved with in my career, either as an attorney or academic. I have previously served as the Student Representative on the Board of Directors, where I helped start what has become the Case Study Cup Competition. I have also served as a conference abstract reviewer for several years and a judge and coach for our student research competitions. After spending the early part of my academic career moving from school to school to find the right personal and professional fit, I am finally in a place where I can expand my involvement in SRLA and give back more to the organization that has given so much to me.
I am running for Treasurer to contribute to the ongoing financial stability and sustainability of the organization. The current Board has done an excellent job navigating SRLA through a period of significant upheaval for academic groups like ours, but the landscape is still chaotic. Our traditional revenue sources are changing, and we must explore new ways of both generating income and cutting expenses where appropriate. I would also support increased communication with the membership regarding our financial position and decision-making. Again, SRLA is the most important professional organization in my career, and I would be honored to work toward its thriving future.
Rachel Silverman
I am honored to submit my candidacy for the position of Finance Director on the SRLA Board of Directors. Over the past four years, I have had the privilege of serving SRLA in multiple leadership capacities—two years as the Student Representative and two years as a Member-at-Large overseeing Honors & Awards. These roles have provided me with a strong understanding of SRLA’s governance processes, strategic priorities, and operational needs. In addition to my SRLA service, I serve as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of another professional organization, which has further strengthened my leadership skills and deepened my experience in organizational oversight and board governance.
Beyond my BOD service, I bring practical financial management experience as the faculty advisor for the Sport & Recreation Management Club at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. In this capacity, I oversee the club’s budgeting, fundraising activities, and financial planning to ensure responsible stewardship of resources and support for impactful student programming. These responsibilities have strengthened the fiscal oversight, organizational skills, and attention to detail essential to the Finance Director position. My broader professional work—including program coordinator, university service, and committee leadership—further prepares me to contribute effectively to SRLA’s administrative and financial operations.
I am seeking this role because I am deeply invested in SRLA’s future and believe in the importance of transparent, reliable, and proactive financial stewardship. I am committed to supporting the Board and membership by promoting sound fiscal practices, clear communication, and long-term planning. It would be a privilege to continue serving the association in this capacity and to contribute to SRLA’s ongoing success and stability.
Candidates Member at Large Honors and Awards
Heather Van Mullem
Heather is an Associate Professor in the Sport Management Program at Washington State University. She teaches courses in sport sociology, sport law, and sport and popular culture. She is running for the position of Member-at-Large (Honors and Awards) of the Sport and Recreation Law Association.
Heather was previously a Professor of Kinesiology at Lewis-Clark State College. She earned a Ph.D. in Sport Studies from the University of Kansas, a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law, and is admitted to the Idaho State Bar. Her research agenda focuses on gender, sports, and the media, motherhood in the academy, and athlete wellness.
Dylan Williams
Having been an active SRLA member since 2012 and currently serving on the Honors and Awards Committee since 2019, I am eager to expand my service to the organization that has been instrumental in my professional development and scholarly pursuits.
SRLA has been a cornerstone of my professional identity, and the organization has provided me with invaluable opportunities for scholarship dissemination, professional networking, and service. I am committed to ensuring that future generations of sport and recreation law scholars, practitioners, and students experience the same welcoming and intellectually stimulating environment that has characterized my SRLA journey.
I have conducted 31 presentations at SRLA conferences, covering topics from tax implications in sport to legal issues in professional wrestling. My research agenda focuses on the intersection of sport law, finance, and governance-areas that align closely with recognizing excellence across our field’s diverse specializations. As SRLA Finance Officer from 2016 to 2019, I gained valuable insight into the organizational operations and strategic planning that supports our association’s mission.
The recognition I have received from SRLA has been among the most meaningful honors of my career. Being named the 2016 Lori K. Miller Young Professional Award recipient and receiving the Best Paper Award in 2015 demonstrated SRLA’s commitment to fostering emerging scholars. The 2020 SRLA Research Fellowship further validated my contributions to sport and recreation law scholarship. These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for how recognition programs can inspire excellence and build community within our field. I understand firsthand the impact that thoughtful honors and awards can have on a scholar’s trajectory and sense of belonging within SRLA.
My scholarly credentials include 35 peer-reviewed publications, with six articles appearing in the Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport, and numerous publications addressing legal and governance issues in sport. As an Associate Professor with tenure at The University of Alabama, I have developed and taught sport law courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels for over a decade. Additionally, I have supervised undergraduate research projects, including advising students whose work earned the Mary Myers SRLA Undergraduate Student Research Poster Competition award in 2017. This mentorship experience has reinforced my commitment to recognizing and encouraging emerging talent in our field.
My vision for the Honors and Awards position centers on maintaining the outstanding work already established while critically assessing the viability and relevance of our awards for future generations. Specifically, I propose to:
Conduct a comprehensive review of current awards to ensure they reflect the evolving landscape of sport and recreation law, including emerging areas such as esports law, NIL regulations, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in sport.
- Assess award criteria and nomination processes to ensure accessibility and transparency, encouraging broader participation from diverse career stages and institutional types across our membership.
- Enhance the visibility and impact of SRLA award recipients through strategic communication efforts that celebrate their contributions and inspire future scholarship and practice in our field.
- Evaluate opportunities for new recognition categories that acknowledge innovative contributions to sport and recreation law, whether through scholarship, practice, teaching, or service.
- Foster continuity and institutional memory by documenting best practices and creating resources for future committee members to ensure sustainable excellence in our recognition programs.
I am honored to put my name forward for this position and would be privileged to serve the SRLA membership in this capacity. I am confident that my experience, dedication to the organization, and vision for thoughtful evolution of our recognition programs will contribute meaningfully to SRLA’s continued excellence.
Thank you for considering my nomination. I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications and vision further with the board and membership.