FCA Executive Team

Les Steckel
President and CEO

Veteran NFL coach Les Steckel became the seventh president and CEO of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on March 1, 2005. Steckel's extensive involvement with FCA dates back to 1972 when, as a college football coach, he attended his first FCA conference. In the 37 years since then, Steckel has served as Huddle Leader, platform speaker, camp dean, football clinician at various FCA Camps across the nation and served regularly as a guest speaker for FCA events. Steckel and his wife, Chris, also speak at FCA marriage enrichment weekends, and prior to his selection as FCA President and CEO, both he and Chris served on the FCA National Board of Trustees.

Steckel's football coaching career spans over 32 years. After spending five years as a college coach at the University of Colorado and the U.S. Naval Academy, Steckel began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978. His 23 years of coaching experience in the NFL includes serving as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, whom he helped guide to the 2000 Super Bowl. He also was an offensive coach for the New England Patriots during their 1985 Super Bowl season.

Additionally, he held the position of offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was a position coach with the Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills.

A Golden Gloves boxing champion at the University of Kansas, Steckel graduated from Kansas in 1968 with a triple-major bachelor's degree in political science, social work and human relations. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and, after completing Officer Candidate School in early 1969, served in Vietnam as an infantry officer. In 1972, Steckel joined the Marine Corps Reserves and served in various staff positions throughout the United States while he coached football for college and NFL teams until retiring in 1999 as a Colonel. Among his numerous military awards, Steckel received the Navy Commendation Medal.

In August 2006, Steckel's autobiography, One Yard Short: Turning Your Defeats into Victories, was published. The title is derived from the final play of the 2000 Super Bowl between the St. Louis Rams and Steckel's Titans, a play that has been called the most exciting play in the history of the Super Bowl. Steckel's book chronicles his life journey, which ultimately led him to Kansas City to head the largest sports ministry in the world.

Les and Chris Steckel are the parents of three adult children, Christian, Lesley and Luke.

Donnie Dee
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Donnie Dee has been with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for 20 years and now serves as FCA's Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. Before assuming his new role in August 2009, Dee served as FCA's Regional Director for Southern California.

As a Kansas City native, Dee played football and basketball for Oak Park High School and was a four-year letterman in football at the University of Tulsa, graduating from there in 1988 with a business management degree. He was then drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and played in the NFL for two years.

After his time in the NFL, Dee began his FCA career in Colorado, where he developed a thriving ministry. He then answered a call 13 years ago to move to Southern California, where he grew FCA's ministry in that region from one volunteer to 30 staffers today.

Dee directs the daily ministry of FCA's National Support Center, which serves more than 400 local and regional offices that annually impact almost 2 million people across the country.

Dee met his wife, Jackie, while both were athletes at the University of Tulsa. They have two children, Johnny and Jennifer.

Dan Britton
Executive Vice President of Ministry Programs

Dan Britton serves as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Executive Vice President serves as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Executive Vice President of Ministry Pro¬grams at the National Support Center in Kansas City. He has been on FCA staff since 1991, first serving for thirteen years in Virginia. Dan oversees the ministry advancement, including Camps, Coaches Ministry, Campus Ministry, Community Ministry, International Ministry, Online Ministry, Inner-City Ministry, Training, and Resource Development. While at St. Stephens High School in Virginia and at the University of Delaware, Dan was a standout lacrosse player. He continued his career by playing professional indoor lacrosse for four years with the Baltimore Thunder, earning a spot on the All-Star team, and was nominated by his teammates for both the Service and Unsung Hero awards. Dan is a frequent speaker and trainer at schools, churches, conferences, camps, conventions, and retreats. He is coauthor of WisdomWalks—an exciting field manual for creating intentional, spiritual, life-changing connections. He still plays and coaches lacrosse and even enjoys running marathons. He is married to Dawn, whom he met in youth group in eighth grade, and they reside in Overland Park, Kansas, with their three children: Kallie, Abby and Elijah.

Nancy Hedrick
Executive Vice President of Communications and Events

Nancy Hedrick serves as the Executive Vice President of Communications and Events for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the National Support Center in Kansas City, Mo. She oversees all internal and external communications, including public and media relations, Sharing the Victory magazine, and the national events and donor services departments.

Before joining FCA in September 2004, Hedrick first worked at General Mills in Minneapolis in various roles including Director of Marketing and Sales. She then moved to ConAgra Frozen Foods in Omaha where she ultimately served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Retail Brands.

Hedrick holds a BSBA and a MBA from the University of Missouri where she was a member of the tennis team, later a graduate assistant coach and has since served as a Varsity M Board member and Board Secretary. 

A nationally active speaker and contributing author to two books ( Give Stress a Rest and Thriving in the Midst of Change), Hedrick has also served on the boards of the Kansas City chapter of the National Speakers Association, Omaha Theater for Young People, Nebraska Lung Association, Girls, Inc., and Leadership Minneapolis plus the University of Minnesota Women’s Athletics Advisory Council.

She and her husband, John, reside in Overland Park, KS.