Wayne State University Athletics

General 10/8/2024 8:23:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Athletic Department Adds Three Staff Members

DETROIT -- Wayne State University Director of Athletics Erika Wallace has announced the hiring of three staff members.

Darlena York joined the WSU Department of Athletics in June of 2024 as the Athletics Business Operations Coordinator, while Kyle Lewis re-joined the Department in September of 2024 as the Ticket and Merchandise Supervisor. Mads (Madeleine) McKenna will serve the Department as an Assistant Athletic Director for Student Support Services.

York came to WSU after spending nearly two years as an Account Executive with the Detroit Pistons organization. While with the Pistons, she coordinated between multiple departments in the planning and organizing of various fan initiatives to improve game-day experience. She planned and executed a Pistons volunteer program involving high school students and current Pistons employees to educate about the different roles in the sports industry. York also facilitated donations for local non-profits such as Detroit Power Girls with multiple group outings.

She earned her bachelor's degrees in political science as well as Afro-American and African Studies from the University of Michigan two years ago. She has volunteered with the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority for more than four years.

A former football student-athlete (2015-20) and graduate assistant coach (2021) with the Warrior football program, Lewis returns to WSU after spending the past year as an Inside Sales Representative with Ilitch Sports & Entertainment working with the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. Prior to joining ISE, Lewis worked for Amazon.

As a member of the Warrior football program, Lewis appeared in 24 games despite missing three seasons due to a freshman redshirt, a medical redshirt and a COVID redshirt. He earned a bachelor's degree in Sport Management in 2020 and a master's degree in Sports Administration in 2021.

A seven-time member of the Academic Honor Roll, Lewis was an Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection in 2018, and received Academic All-GLIAC recognition in 2020.

During the 2021 season, he helped mentor First Team All-GLIAC wide receiver Tre Davis, whose 18.1 yards per catch was first in the league. WSU ranked second in the GLIAC in yards per completion (13.1) and fourth in scoring (24.1 points per game).

A Columbus, Ohio, native (Upper Arlington High School), McKenna earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from California University of Pennsylvania in May of 2021, while being a four-year member of the Vulcans volleyball squad. She earned a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside this past May. Her thesis was titled "An Exploration of Coach-Athlete Relationships, College Student-Athlete Mental Health, and the Division II Student-Athlete Experience."

She has served the last two years as the Mental Health Advocacy Graduate Assistant for Athletics at UW-Parkside and received the Ranger IMPACT Award in 2024 which recognizes a staff member for their positive impact on Parkside Athletics. In her time as the Mental Health Advocacy GA, McKenna led the development and implementation of numerous mental health initiatives and programs for the department while meeting with student-athletes, coaches, and staff to provide mental wellness support and consultation.

McKenna also served as a Counseling Intern for the Health and Counseling Center at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. as part of her master's program from the spring of 2023 through the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. In this role, she provided counseling services to college students and student-athletes.

Mads is a current member of the NCAA Board of Governors (graduated DII Student-Athlete member, Aug. 2022-Aug. 2025). She was the first-ever graduated student-athlete voting member in 2022-23, and currently sits as an ex officio member alongside graduated student-athlete members from DI and DIII.

While an undergrad at Cal. Pa., McKenna served as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's (PSAC) representative on Division II National SAAC from 2019-2022, where she was a member of the Mental Health Task Force and spoke on DII Mental Health Panels at the 2019 and 2020 NCAA Conventions.

She has also served as the DII National SAAC representative on Division II Management Council (2020-2022), the NCAA Constitution Committee, and the DII Implementation Committee.

As a member of the Constitution Committee, McKenna contributed mental health language to the new NCAA Constitution, codifying Student-Athlete Well-Being as one of the Association's guiding principles and charging member institutions with the responsibility for oversight/administration of coach, administrator, and staff mental health awareness and education. In 2022, Mads was honored with the D2 Conference Commissioner's Association Meritorious Service Award in recognition of and appreciation for leadership and dedication to the membership of NCAA DII, marking the first time in history a student-athlete had been selected for this award.

Academically, McKenna was a four-year D2 Athletic Director's Association (ADA) Academic Achievement Award recipient along with garnering PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors all four years.

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