Stephanie Metz enters her first year as director of student-athlete development after serving a year with the Jacksonville University Athletic Department as a compliance assistant.

Under the direction of Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Donna Kirk, Metz was responsible for protecting the integrity of the university by ensuring that JU is compliant with NCAA, Atlantic Sun Conference and University rules and regulations. She monitors all 18 sports, including investigating and reporting rules violations and educating staff, student-athletes and JU representatives on NCAA bylaws and interpretations. Garland also works with the NCAA Clearinghouse in determining qualification status of student-athletes.

Prior to JU, Metz worked as a mediator for Franklin Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio. She mediated a variety of civil cases, including employment, landlord-tenant and contract disputes. Metz worked as a judicial extern for the Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer in Supreme Court of Ohio and served as a law clerk in the office of Samuel B. Weiner, Esq.

In the sports business, Metz was an assistant rowing coach for Lehigh University during the 2002-03 season. She designed and executed daily practices for men's and women's rowing program, while also assisting the head coach with travel, recruiting and transition to varsity status.

Prior to coaching at Lehigh, she spent four seasons working for the Philadelphia Phillies Florida Operations in their sales department. Metz sold ticket packages to local businesses, achieving recognition as top seller for the "Merchant's Night" promotion.

Metz's other sports experience includes working as a corporate sales assistant and men's rowing coach for the University of Tampa from 2000-01. She worked six seasons for the Hagerstown Suns baseball club, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. During her time with the Suns, she became the first and only female ever selected as South Atlantic League's "Batboy/Girl of the Year" in 1994.

The Cavetown, Md. native, earned her B.S. in exercise science and sports studies from University of Tampa in 2001. In May 2006, she earned a law degree from the Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio and has her master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University. Garland is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries.

Metz is single and resides in Jacksonville.