NSCA Board of Directors

President, Brent Alvar, PhD, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D, FNSCA

Dr. Alvar is a Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. He has been a member of the NSCA since 1996 and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction, Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator with Distinction and recognized as an NSCA Fellow. He began his career as a Personal Trainer/Strength Coach working with the general population, various clinical populations, as well developing collegiate Sports Performance and Tactical Strength and Conditioning Programs. In addition, he has been instrumental in developing many college and university academic programs in the area of Sports and Tactical Strength and Conditioning, including programs from the Associate’s level to the PhD. His research focus is in the area of Dose-Response of Resistance Training as well as the various components of Exercise Testing and Prescription related to Human Performance and Occupational Preparedness. Dr. Alvar has over 50 published papers and book chapters as well as over 75 invited research and professional presentations both nationally and internationally. He is also extremely involved in the tactical area of the NSCA, helping to develop the NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning as well as the TSAC Strength and Conditioning Course. His teaching is centered on Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methods, Clinical Exercise Prescription, as well as Sport and Tactical Strength and Conditioning. He spends the majority of his time guiding young scholars in their professional and research pursuits and feels this is the most important aspect of his career.

Vice President, Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, TSAC-F,*D, FNSCA

Jay Dawes is an Associate Professor of Applied Exercise Science in the Department of Kinesiology, Health and Recreation at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Dawes has worked as a university athletic performance coordinator, strength/performance coach, personal trainer, and educator for over 20 years. Additionally, he also worked as the Director of Education for the NSCA from 2007–2010 and served on the NSCA BOD executive council from 2016–2019 as both Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. While he still conducts research in the area of sports performance, his primary research interests are focused on improving the health, fitness and human performance for tactical athletes/first responders. In 2021, Dr. Dawes was recognized by the NSCA as the Tactical Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year for his contributions in this area.

Secretary/Treasurer, Disa Hatfield, PhD, CSCS,*D

Disa L. Hatfield is currently a professor and department chair at the University of Rhode Island in the Department of Kinesiology. Dr. Hatfield is certified by the NSCA as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction and has served on the NSCA’s Education Committee, Research Committee and the Nominating Committee and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Dr. Hatfield’s research focus is multidisciplinary and focuses on strength and conditioning, athletic performance, nutrition and supplementation, perception of exercise, exercise endocrinology and non-nutritional ergogenic aids. Dr. Hatfield’s 60+ published research articles and numerous book chapters have an overarching focus on how these factors interact and are affected by resistance training and exercise across the lifespan. Dr. Hatfield has also worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the private sector and as a personal trainer. She is formerly a 3-time U.S.A.P.L. National Champion Powerlifter, I.O.C. World Games athlete, 2-time American Bench Press record holder and former head coach for the Men’s Pan American Powerlifting team.

Educational/Institutional Strength and Conditioning Professional, Robert Alejo, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E

Mr. Alejo is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Performance and Student-Athlete Welfare at CSU Northridge. He was previously the Director of Sports Science for Power Lift. 2011-2017: Assistant AD/Director of Strength and Conditioning, NC State, overseeing the strength and conditioning for the entire athletic department, while coordinating the day-to-day efforts of the men's basketball team. During that time, the Wolfpack men’s basketball team earned two trips to the Sweet Sixteen in four NCAA Tournament appearances. 1993-2001 and 2009-2011: Director of Strength and Conditioning, Oakland Athletics, which included the “Moneyball” period. During those 12 years, he was responsible for all aspects of the organization's year-round physical preparation at both the MLB and minor league levels. 2010 Season: Strength and Conditioning Consultant, San Jose, Earthquakes. 2005-2008: Director of Strength and Conditioning, UC Santa Barbara. 2017-present and 2001-2005: Alejo Athletic Performance Consulting.1984-1993: Assistant, Associate Head, Head Administrator/Strength and Conditioning, UCLA, working with 23 men's and women's teams. During that time, the Bruins racked up 25 national championships and produced more than 100 AllAmericans. 1982-1984: Program Coordinator/ Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Sports Medicine and Training Center, Chico, CA. Also, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for CSU Chico Football, 1983- 84. U.S. Olympic Team: 2008 Beijing and 2012 London as strength and conditioning coach for men’s beach volleyball team Todd Rogers/Phil Dalhausser. 2007 World Champions, 2008 Olympic Gold. In addition to CSCS,*D and RSCC*E, he is ASCA Level 2 certified (Australian Strength and Conditioning Association).

Board Member, Paul Comfort, PhD, CSCS,*D

Dr. Comfort is a Reader in Strength and Conditioning and program leader for the MSc Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford. He is also an adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University. Dr. Comfort has applied experience across a range of sports and consults with numerous professional and semi-professional sports teams, which he has undertaken throughout his approximately 20-year academic career. He is a founder member and accredited member with the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association, has been a member of the NSCA for nearly 20 years, and is a CSCS,*D. He is a senior associate editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and associate editor for the European Journal of Sport Science and Sports Biomechanics. Dr. Comfort has co-authored more than 150 peer reviewed journal articles, along with numerous book chapters, and is co-editor of the textbooks Advanced Strength and Conditioning: An Evidence Based Approach and Performance Assessment for Strength and Conditioning.

Personal Trainer Member, Robert Linkul, MS, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA

Robert Linkul, is the owner of TOA (TrainingTheOlderAdult.com) a personal training studio and online continued education provider for fitness professionals. Linkul has his master’s degree in personal training, is the NSCA’s 2012 Personal Trainer of the Year award winner, a 2017 NSCA Fellowship inductee and was voted on to the 2021 NSCA Board of Directors (Personal Trainer Position).

Sports Medicine Professional, Sally Paulson, PhD, ATC, CSCS,*D

Dr. Sally Paulson is a Research Coordinator in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, KY. She holds a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Arkansas. Her research interests include gait analysis, acute biomechanical responses to exercise training, and sit-to-stand power, functional fitness, and cognitive measures of aging adults. Her work has been published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, BMC Geriatrics, Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, and the International Journal of Sports Medicine. She is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with Distinction (CSCS,*D®) as well as by the National Athletic Trainers Association as a Certified Athletic Trainer. As an active professional member of the NSCA, she has served as a member of the NSCA’s Women’s Committee, reviewed manuscripts for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and attended numerous NSCA events.

Academician/Researcher Member, Brandon Roberts, PhD, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F

Dr. Roberts is a Captain serving in the U.S. Army as a Research Physiologist with the mission of optimizing Warfighter health and performance through medical research. He uses a combination of cell culture, animal models, and human clinical trials to study how skeletal muscle adapts to exercise, nutrition, and injury. He completed a bachelors in microbiology, a masters in human performance, and a PhD in muscle biology all at the University of Florida. While a student, he worked as a personal trainer and strength coach, both in-person and online. Later, he completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship in exercise medicine and sports nutrition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His involvement in the NSCA began as an undergraduate student participating in NSCA conferences and state clinics, then serving in several leadership positions before being elected to the NSCA Board of Directors.

Public Member, Kacie Wallace, JD, LLM

Kacie Wallace joined the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the Athlete Ombudsman in January 2015. She serves as an independent adviser to athletes regarding their rights and responsibilities under national and international rules in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. She also works with athletes to help resolve disputes and as a liaison between athletes, National Governing Bodies, the USOPC, and other stakeholders. Kacie earned a B.A. in art-design from Duke University, a law degree from North Carolina Central University, a master of laws in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University, and a certificate in documentary studies from Duke University. Kacie spent the previous decade teaching negotiation, mediation and international conflict management at Duke University, the University of North Carolina and through Rotary International. She also taught courses at Duke University that examined global conflict through the lens of documentary film and how film can be used as a persuasion tool. She partnered with experts in the video gaming industry and won a $250,000 digital innovation award from the MacArthur Foundation to build virtual training environments for NGOs, governments and other agencies to simulate coordination efforts necessary to address relief needs following large scale natural disasters. She also has designed exhibits for a children’s museum and taught art therapy in a state psychiatric institute. She was a swimmer through university, has competed in international open water competitions, and now competes in long distance races for the YOLOboard standup paddle team. She has paddled in the standup paddle World Championships across the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, around islands in Hong Kong, down the Tennessee River, and 304.6 miles up the coast of North Carolina from South Carolina to Virginia. She is married to Richard Stockmans and lives in Colorado Springs.