MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Jason Cable announced promotions for Dr. Genese Lavalais and Stephanie Thompson.

Lavalais has been promoted to Chief of Staff and will now serve the department as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, Chief of Staff, and Senior Women's Administrator.

Thompson now has the title of Associate Athletic Director for Compliance after serving as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance.

"Dr. Lavalais Is a proven leader who has significantly impacted the academic performance and experience of our student-athletes. Her efforts have directly led to the success of our athletic program. I am thankful for her leadership," Cable said. "Stephanie has enhanced our compliance program and is an up-and-coming administrator. I am proud to have her a part of our leadership team."

Lavalais is grateful for the opportunity.

"Starting a new role in athletics is both a privilege and a challenge. It's an opportunity to foster a culture of excellence, support student-athletes in achieving their best, and contribute to the vibrant spirit of the university," added Lavalais. "I am eager to bring my passion and dedication to this role, working collaboratively to elevate our athletic programs to new heights. I am incredibly excited about starting this new role, and I would like to thank Dr. Cable for providing me with this opportunity to continue my growth within intercollegiate athletics."

Lavalais joined Alabama State as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Experience in 2022. She joined the department after a stint at Hampton University, where she served since 2019 as the Director for Athletics Academic Support/Life Skills. She previously served five years at Jackson State University as the Associate Athletic Director of Academics/Senior Woman Administrator.

Her responsibilities at Hampton included managing the Office of Academic Support Staff, monitoring the academic progress at HU, managing all aspects of the Life Skills Program, and advisor for SAAC and Chi Alpha Sigma, Virginia Delta Chapter.

Thompson is excited to continue working with Hornet student-athletes.

"I would like to thank Dr. Jason Cable for the opportunity," Thompson said. "It's an honor to serve the student-athletes at Alabama State University and I look forward to continuing the relationships we've built with faculty, staff, and students."

Thompson came to Alabama State Athletic after spending time at Bethune-Cookman.

While at Bethune-Cookman, she served as the Director for Compliance and Academic Initiatives, where she was the primary contact for the operations of the compliance unit. She managed the Name, Image, and Likeness monitoring initiative while also managing the distribution of the NCAA Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund. She also monitored all aspects of recruiting prospective student-athletes and led certification efforts of initial eligibility of incoming freshmen and transfer students in collaboration with the Office of Student-Athlete Services academic unit, registrar, and faculty athletic representative (FAR).