As Deputy Commissioner and Chief Finance Officer for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Jessica Grasso is ensuring academic integrity and athletic excellence for the MAAC’s 3,000 NCAA Division I student-athletes–representing 11 member and 14 associate member institutions across 25 sports.

With nearly 20 years of sports leadership experience, Grasso believes the impact of college athletics lasts a lifetime for those playing and leading them.

As the Associate Athletic Director of Compliance & Internal Operations at American University, Assistant Athletic Director at Providence College, and Assistant Athletic Director at Saint Peter’s University, a founding MAAC member, Grasso experienced the importance of on-campus athletics firsthand for over a decade. And these opportunities helped shape her vision for leading college athletics into the future.

As the MAAC’s Senior Woman Administrator, a member of Women Leaders in College Sports, and a previous member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, Grasso is a champion and support system for emerging leaders.

Grasso also understands the importance of people and the need to be both a partner and leader. Her luminous leadership style and approachable demeanor make it easy for her to collaborate and engage with diverse stakeholders while developing policies, establishing budgets, managing investment plans, and developing teams for the MAAC. 

Informed by her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and master’s degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Sports Management, Grasso is an advocate for positive health and wellness. And as she contributes to the growth and development of NCAA and conference leaders, she is securing space for winning experiences and academic success for on-campus student-athletes across the MAAC and greater NCAA membership.