Meet The Athlete Ombuds Team

Kacie Wallace has served as athlete ombuds since January 2015. As an attorney with an advanced degree in dispute resolution, Wallace spent the prior 10 years mediating disputes for the USOPC. She has taught negotiation, mediation and international conflict management at Duke University and North Carolina Central University School of Law, as well as in Hong Kong and Thailand through the Rotary Center for International Peace and Conflict Resolution. She was a swimmer at Duke University and now paddles for the YOLO Board Standup Paddle team, competing in the 2013 World Championships across the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, and recently paddled 304.6 miles from South Carolina to Virginia to raise awareness about ocean sustainability. She now resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and plans to become a sprint paddler in the not-so-open waters of Colorado.

Contact Kacie at kacie@usathlete.org

Emily has served as a senior associate athlete ombuds since December 2018 and previously served as an intern in the office of the athlete ombuds. She graduated from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, earning accolades in mediation, legal writing and negotiation. Emily was a track and field athlete at the University of California, Davis, and competed in bobsled from 2006 through 2014, earning a position on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team. She also competed on the U.S. National Rugby Sevens Team and served on the Athlete Advisory Council as the rugby representative. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her niece and nephews.

Contact Emily at emily@usathlete.org.

Bryce joined the team as an assistant athlete ombuds in January 2020. Bryce earned his master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Northern Colorado after completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado. He most recently served as the classification manager in the Paralympic division of the USOPC. Prior to serving as classification manager, Bryce has held roles in Olympic sport performance and training center operations at the USOPC, as well as U.S. Soccer’s youth national team operations. Bryce was an athlete for 10 years with the U.S. National Soccer 7-a-side Team, representing Team USA at the Paralympic Games in 2012 and 2016 and in more than 80 international matches. In his free time, Bryce enjoys spending time outdoors and hanging out with his dog Ralphie.

Contact Bryce at bryce@usathlete.org

Aaron joined the team as an assistant athlete ombuds in July 2023. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Fresno, Aaron earned his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law with a certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute. While in law school, he interned for the United States Anti-Doping Agency and Pepperdine’s NCAA Compliance Department. He also competed as a member of Pepperdine's Trial Advocacy team and earned honors in trial advocacy, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Prior to joining the athlete ombuds team, Aaron spent two years as an attorney representing professional and elite-level athletes in anti-doping and SafeSport arbitrations, as well as team selection and contract disputes. Aaron played collegiate rugby and is an avid sports fan, and enjoys traveling, going to sporting events, and spending time with his wife and dog.

Contact Aaron at aaron@usathlete.org