Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Region: Jordan

Sue Wicks

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2009  –  Philippines
  • 2010  –  Indonesia
  • 2011  –  Dominican Republic
  • 2013  –  Malaysia
  • 2016  –  Cambodia
  • 2017  –  Jordan

Sue Wicks was a first-round selection by the New York Liberty in the WNBA’s inaugural draft in 1997. Wicks went on to play six seasons with the Liberty, earning an All-Star selection in 2000. She also was the recipient of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2000. Wicks finished her WNBA career in eighth place all-time in blocked shots.

Wicks played collegiately at Rutgers University, where she was a three-time All-American and the 1988 National Player of the Year. She was inducted into Rutgers’ Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2013.

Andrea Stinson

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2005  –  Algeria
  • 2009  –  Bahrain
  • 2011  –  Jordan

Andrea is considered by many to be the best female player ever from North Carolina. At North Mecklenburg High School, she led her team to two State Championships, and was named player of the year by the High School Association, and Miss Basketball by The Charlotte Observer. She was named the USA Today National Player of the year.

Andrea won AAU National Championships as a ninth grader, and again her junior year when she was MVP (Charlotte Monarchs, now Royals). At NC State she scored 2136 points and was All-Conference and All American.

As a professional she played for the WNBA Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock, as well teams in Italy, Turkey, and France. She was a Four Time Italian League All-Star.

Andrea also played on USA Basketball National Teams, participating in the Pan American games, and winning a gold medal in the Jones Cups.

Andrea has been an active participant in The Sports United Envoy Program, traveling to Africa and the Middle East to conduct clinics and events for youth.

After retiring as a player Andrea became a high school coach in NC, and now is the coach at Newton-Conover High School.

Neal Meyer

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  Jordan

Neal Meyer is a former NBA Assistant Coach with the Clippers and Trailblazer, as well as working a video coordinator and camp director for the Denver Nuggets’ offseason youth camps. He got his NBA start when he held the position of assistant video coordinator and camp director for the San Antonio Spurs in 1994. Meyer served as Head Coach for the Clippers entry in the 2006 Las Vegas Summer League and enjoys coaching and teaching internationally during his offseasons. He joined the NBA to oversee part of their Europe and Middle Eastern operations in 2010 before becoming Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations in EMEA in 2017.

Marty Conlon

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Uzbekistan
  • 2011  –  Jordan
  • 2012  –  Burma
  • 2014  –  South Korea

As a manager of International Basketball Operations at the National Basketball Association (NBA), Martin Conlon conducts basketball grassroots events all over the world, organizing, coaching in, recruiting for, and creating curriculum for camps, clinics, or coaching seminars. He also maintains relationships with international basketball federations, clubs, and organizations.

Conlon has led the NBA Haier Academy camps in mainland China for the last three years, working in nine different cities and acting as the lead scout and championship coach of the reality TV show NBA Mengniu Basketball Disciple. In 2008, Conlon also led the first-ever “NBA Hoop School” program in India, working with local coaches in Bangalore, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

Prior to joining the NBA front office, Conlon enjoyed an extensive professional basketball career, most recently as the captain and player/coach of the Irish National Team. He played one season in Spain, another in Greece, and three in Italy. Conlon played in the NBA from 1991 to 1999, spending time on the rosters of Seattle, Charlotte, Milwaukee and Miami.

A member of the Westchester County Hall of Fame, Conlon is also a junior council member of New York’s Museum of Natural History, a junior board member of SEEDS (Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal) and a member of the Hawk Mountain conservancy.

As a player at Providence College – from which he holds a bachelor’s degree – Conlon played on the 1987 NCAA Final Four team. He returned to the tournament with Providence in 1989 and 1990.

James “Sam” Vincent

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2011  –  Jordan

James Samuel Vincent was born May 18, 1963 in Lansing Michigan. Sam attended Lansing’s Eastern High School followed by Michigan State University. At 6’2, Sam played point guard for the MSU Spartans where he averaged 16.8 points per game.

One of Sam’s first big career hallmarks was when he was named the State of Michigan’s very first “Mr. Basketball” in 1981. That honor was soon followed by others as Vincent was named team MVP in 1983 – 1985, and was awarded The Sporting News All-America honors in 1985. His college career rankings are impressive. He ranks sixth in career scoring, third in career steals and ninth in career assists. Following graduation, Vincent was a 1985 first round NBA Draft selection by the Celtics (20th overall). During his pro career he averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.9 assists per game. He played with Boston (1985-87), Seattle (1987-88), Chicago (1987-890 and with Orlando (1989-92).

In his rookie year with the Celtics, Sam helped the team win an NBA championship. Again, during his sophomore year they made yet another NBA Final. Not a bad start to a great pro career. Sought by the Seattle Super Sonics, Sam joined the team for part of the 1987-88 season before being traded to the Chicago Bulls where he averaged 13 points, 8.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds. All this while starting 27 games and helping the Bulls to the NBA playoffs. The following season with the Bulls, Vincent started 56 of the 70 games as the team advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. After the 1989-90 season he was chosen by the Orlando Magic in the expansion draft, where he averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.1 during the teams first year.

After Sam finished his playing career he joined Reggie Williams, vice president at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. As a special advisor his job involved recruiting major sporting events for the Orlando, Florida area. As much as he enjoyed his position in Orlando, it wasn’t where his heart was. Sam Vincent wanted to be on the court where he knew he had much to offer. He made up his mind to follow his dream and get back to the game, this time as a coach.

In 1996 he was hired as head coach of the Cape Town Kings in South Africa. This position encompassed quite a challenge as he was now responsible for overseeing every aspect of the organization. Handling everything from business administration, marketing and communications, even sponsorship sales, Sam Vincent took it all in stride. With three seasons of experience in Cape Town, he was named head coach for both the Men’s and Women’s South African Senior National Teams. Followed in 1999 – 2000 by a position in Larissa, Greece with the Greek A-2 Men’s Basketball League before moving on to the A-1 Dutch League as head coach of the Canoe Jeans in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Always in search of the next challenge that would help him gain experience and the chance to hone his innate coaching abilities, in 2003 Vincent became head coach of the Nigerian women’s national team. In December his team won its first FIBA Africa Championship, which earned them a berth at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Neither Sam nor his team rested on their collective laurels. In Athens his coaching skills were proven again as the team defeated South Korea 68-64, giving the African women’s basketball team their first taste of Olympic victory and the first-ever Olympic victory by an African women’s basketball team. From there Coach Vincent became head coach of the Nigerian men’s national basketball team. With the same dedication to his players and the game, Coach Vincent developed a team that took a bronze medal in the 2005 FIBA Africa championships. The men followed that up with an impressive 82-75 upset win over the acknowledged powerhouse Serbia and Montenegro in the FIBA World Championships of 2006.

With these impressive victories as proof of his growing coaching skills it wasn’t surprising that he would make the move to his first NBA coaching job in the US. In 2006 he became coach of the Dallas Mavericks for the Toshiba Vegas Summer League going on to serve as an assistant coach during the 2006 -2007 season when the Mavericks won a league best 67 games during their regular season. In 2007, Michael Jordan, his former teammate on the Chicago Bulls and current team president of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, selected Sam as his head coach for the 2007/2008 NBA season. And although his stint as head coach lasted only one season, Sam was still thankful to Michael Jordan and Bob Johnson for the opportunity. The opportunity brought experience, and even though the team suffered through several player injuries, they managed to put together a 32 win season.

Throughout his basketball career he has taken an interest in community programs. Sam has been actively involved with Basketball without Borders since 1997. This exceptional program provides youth, 16-20 years of age, an opportunity to share living quarters with their teammates and participate in seminars that focus on community outreach efforts for education, grassroots basketball development, product donation, healthy living, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse education and prevention.

Sam Vincent is an outstanding coach. Whether he’s coaching in the States or abroad, in the NBA, the NBDL, or Africa National team makes no difference – they all get the best he has to give: his skill, his enthusiasm and his devotion to a sport he loves.

Asked about his career, Sam responded: “I was fortunate to play for some great coaches and with some legendary players during my NBA career. I am honored to be given the opportunity to coach the sport I love and be a part of the basketball family.”

Experience

2009 – Head Coach Jamaican National Team
Won the Caribbean Island Championship
2008 – 2009 Head Coach NBDL Anaheim (CA.) Arsenal
Development of (1) player (James White) led to a mid-season call-up to the Houston Rockets Development of (2) players (Cedric Bozeman and (Kendrick Brown) led to new personal highs in rebounding and scoring
2007 – 2008 Head Coach NBA Charlotte Bobcats
Finished the 2008-09 season with a record of 32-50, close to the 8th seeded playoff spot behind the Atlanta Hawks. Established the Bobcats first five-game win streak
Coached the Bobcats to wins against the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, and Seattle Supersonics on a three-game, west coast road trip
2006 – 2007 Assistant Coach NBA Dallas Mavericks
Created an Excel spreadsheet to chart effectiveness of offensive plays based on amount of points scored per play.
2005 – 2006 Head Coach NBDL Fort Worth Flyers
Advanced to the League Championship game after first year as Head coach.
Responsible for team operations and player management
Managed operations budget and travel logistics
2005 – present Head Coach Nigerian Men’s National Basketball Team
Nigerian Men’s National Basketball Team advanced to qualifying round at 2006 World Championships in Japan.
Won the 2005 African Championship bronze metal.
2003 – 2005 Head Coach Nigerian Women’s National Basketball Team
Women’s team won the first Olympic basketball game in history for Nigeria at the 2004 Summer Games in Greece.
Responsible for implementation of National team program for men and women, including grass root youth development programs
Responsible for group management of the Nigerian government delegation attending the 2004 Olympic Games
2003 – 2005 Camp Director Basketball Without Borders-Africa
Created Africa 100 concept which turned into NBA’s Basketball Without Borders. Responsible for all ground logistics, communications, and public relations in connection with South African government at South African camp
2001 – 2003 Head Coach NBDL Mobile Revelers
Won the League Championship in 2nd year as Head coach.
Responsible for team operations and player management
Managed operations budget and travel logistics
2000 – 2001 Head Coach Canoe Jeans, Netherlands
Responsible for team operations and player management
Managed operations budget and travel logistics
Designed and developed youth development programs
1999 – 2000 Head Coach Larissa, Greece
Responsible for team operations and player management
Managed operations budget and travel logistics
1997 – 1999 Head Coach Cape Town Kings, South African Premier Basketball League (PBL) Responsible for team operations and player management
Managed operations budget and travel logistics
1996 – 1997 Managing Director, Cape Town Kings, South African Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Responsible for strategy, marketing, advertising, public relations, player contract negotiations, and player personnel

Mary Harvey

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2013  –  Iraq
  • 2014  –  Jordan
  • 2015  –  Canada
  • 2015  –  Jordan
  • 2015  –  Egypt
  • 2016  –  Jordan

Mary Harvey is an accomplished and innovative sports development and governance executive with 10+ years leading initiatives to achieve societal change through sports. Mary’s initiatives have been launched and implemented around the world through a variety of organizations, having sustained impact in the empowerment of girls and women, inclusion of marginalized groups, stewardship of the environment and achievement of health and educational objectives.

Mary has served as a sport envoy for the US State Department’s SportsUnited on several occasions, including missions to Iraq in 2013 and Jordan in 2014. On both missions, the key objective was engaging key stakeholders via sport outreach to promote the inclusion and value of women and girls and to promote acceptance and integration of diverse ethnic groups.

A lifelong athlete, Mary enjoyed an 8-year career with the US Women’s National Soccer Team, winning the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 and Olympic Gold in 1996. Mary appeared, with her teammates, in the HBO sports documentary, “Dare to Dream”. Mary holds an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA and a BS from UC Berkeley.

Danielle Slaton

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2010  –  Paraguay
  • 2012  –  Malaysia
  • 2012  –  Burma
  • 2014  –  Jordan
  • 2021  –  Jordan

Danielle Slaton currently works as the Director of the Coaching for Life Academy at Santa Clara University where she teaches coaches, athletes, and parents about how to integrate life skills development through sports. She is also a sideline reporter for the San Jose Earthquakes and a women’s soccer analyst for NBC, Fox Sports, and the Pac-12 Networks.

Danielle was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team from 2000-2005, winning a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics and a bronze in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She attended Santa Clara University where she captained the women’s soccer team to the 2001 NCAA National Championship. After she retired from playing, Danielle coached soccer at Northwestern from 2006-2009, where she also earned her Master’s Degree in Sports Administration.

Danielle is passionate about continuing to grow the game of soccer and teaching life lessons through sports. She serves as an advisor to U.S. Soccer’s Athlete Council, travels as a sports envoy on behalf of the U.S. State Department coaching youth about the life lessons that soccer can teach, and is a certified Positive Coaching Alliance trainer.

Lori Lindsey

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2015  –  Canada
  • 2015  –  Egypt
  • 2015  –  Jordan
  • 2016  –  New Zealand
  • 2016  –  Venezuela
  • 2016  –  Samoa
  • 2017  –  Colombia

Lori Lindsey played at the University of Virginia (UVA) from 1998-2001 and was the school’s first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, winning the award two consecutive years (2000, 2001) joining North Carolina’s Mia Hamm as the only other player to achieve that distinction. She finished as the sixth all-time scorer in UVA history with 33 goals and 76 points, NSCAA Second-Team All-American in 2001, and third-Team All-American in 2000. She was also a 2001 finalist for the Mid Atlantic Conference Award and named Female Athlete of the Year at UVA for the 2001-02 academic year.

Lori Lindsey broke into the National Team relatively late in her career but was a consistent call-up from 2009 to 2012. Lori Lindsey made her first appearance on the National Team in July 24, 2005, vs. Iceland. She was called into WNT training camps on the strength of her WPS performance in 2009 but did not appear in a match. Her best and most active year for the USA was in 2010, playing in 13 matches while starting six and upping her career cap total to 14. In 2011 Lori played in 10 games, starting three, and made her first Women’s World Cup team, playing in one match in Germany, starting and playing the entire 90 minutes in the USA’s second group match, with a victory over Colombia. Finally in, 2012 she played in six matches, starting two, and scored her first career national team goal against Guatemala – on a header – at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver, Canada. She was named as an alternate to the 2012 Olympic Team and traveled with the squad to the U.K

Through the Women’s Professional Soccer League, she played for the Washington Spirit and with Canberra United in Australia. She was the captain of the Washington Spirit in 2013. In the years prior to playing for the Washington Spirit and Canberra United, she also played for the Western New York Flash in the WPSL-Elite and the Philadelphia Independence. Lori was the first player taken in the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Expansion Draft by the Independence and that year she was named to the WPS Best XI and was also named to the WPS All-Star Team.

Zola Solamente

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2014  –  Bolivia
  • 2016  –  Jordan
  • 2016  –  Netherlands
  • 2016  –  Senegal
  • 2017  –  Belarus
  • 2017  –  Albania
  • 2018  –  Tajikistan
  • 2019  –  Bahrain
  • 2023  –  Eswatini

Zola Solamente began playing soccer at the age of 5, with her older brother and his friends. She continued to play with boys until middle school, when she switched to a female club/travel team. From ages 12 – 17, Zola was a captain of her club team, as well as with the Olympic Development Program, and was a member of the East Regional team, which competed internationally.

Zola played at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 1990-1993. She was a starter at UNC for all four years of her career. She won 4 National Championships, 4 ACC Championships, and was named All-American her senior year. She was invited to play on the US Women’s National team in 1993. She traveled with the team for 2.5 years participating in international tournaments.

In 1995 Zola retired from international soccer to become a mother and pursue a career in fine arts. She now owns Arden Gallery Ltd. in Boston, MA, which she has been directing for 23 years. She continues to share her passion for soccer by providing individual and small-group soccer clinics to female players ages 12 – 18 in the greater Boston area. The focus of these training sessions is to improve technical skills, increase tactical awareness, and deepen strength/fitness levels. She also is a member of a USTA tennis league and rows competitively as single sculler. Since the fall of 2014 she has been traveling with the US State Department as a Sports Envoy coaching and mentoring children in under-served and at-risk environments in the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Zola is passionate about empowering girls and women through sports, especially the beautiful game of soccer.