June 9, 2004

Dallas, Texas - The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the 24 winners of the GeneralSports TURF Systems AD of the Year Award (ADOY) today.

There are four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into six categories - Division I-A; Division I-AA/I-AAA combined; Division II, Division III; NAIA; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories for a total of 24 honorees. Winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA's 39th Annual Convention at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary says the ADOY Award is essential because it highlights the efforts of athletics directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.

"Our Honors and Awards Committee recognized a need for an award such as the AD of the Year," said Cleary, who oversaw implementation of the program to allow all NACDA Officers and Honors and Awards Committee members to participate in the awards process, should they be elected. "The program brings to light the exceptional jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 24 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs."

Winners of the 2003-04 GeneralSports TURF Systems AD of the Year Award are:

All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.), in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control within the last five years during the tenure of the current athletics director.

Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners. Special Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, present and past NCAA and NAIA presidents, current and former commissioners and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award. A complete listing of Selection Committee members can be found on NACDA's web site at www.nacda.com.

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NACDA, which is now in its 39th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference commissioners at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. Through its series of management seminars, clinics and workshops and publication of the bi-monthly magazine Athletics Administration, NACDA offers educational opportunities to its members. More than 1,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, the Association operates the NACDA Directors' Cup program, which honors the all-sports champion in each of the NCAA Divisions -- I, II, III -- and the NAIA, for a total of four trophies.

A brief biography follows on each award winner.

Division I-A

Joan Cronan, University of Tennessee, Southeast
In 21 years as the director of women's athletics at the University of Tennessee, Joan Cronan has shaped an athletics program that today enjoys national prominence. Under Cronan's guidance, the Lady Volunteers have earned numerous Southeastern Conference (SEC) and national titles and notably, in 2003, nine of the 11 Lady Volunteer teams finished in the nation's top 25. An active advocate for the advancement of women's athletics, Cronan is a member of the NACDA's Honors and Awards and Directors' Cup committees and the NCAA Championship Council. She has also served on the NCAA's Executive Committee and Management Council, along with the SEC Executive Committee. Her dedication was rewarded with the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame's Administrator of the Year award in 1998. She was also inducted into the College of Charleston Hall of Fame. Cronan remains active in volunteer pursuits, devoting time to Knoxville's Promise, the YMCA, Athletes in Action, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Central Baptist Church-Bearden, where she serves as a deacon. Prior to joining the Lady Volunteers, Cronan served as athletics director at Charleston for 10 years, leading the program to its distinction by the American Women's Sports Foundation as the number one athletics program in the country in 1980. Cronan earned both her bachelor and master's degrees from Louisiana State University.

Andy Geiger. Ohio State University, Northeast
Andy Geiger is an institution among athletics administrators, devoting more than 33 years to several athletics director positions at the Division I level. In 10 years at the helm at Ohio State University, Geiger's achievements have spanned championships, facilities and program expansion. He oversees a program with 36 sports, more than 1,000 student-athletes and an annual operating budget that exceeds $80 million. He has led the Buckeyes to prominence on the field, highlighted by a national football championship and third place finish in the Directors' Cup in 2002. The department's ability to add women's ice hockey, lacrosse and rowing programs is a testament to the financial stability realized under Geiger's direction. He also orchestrated an overhaul of the university's athletics facilities, which are now among the finest in the nation. The recipient of numerous honors, Geiger received the John L. Toner Award from the National Football Foundation, the SportsBusiness Journal Athletics Director of the Year Award and was NACDA's winner of the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Award in 2003. Geiger accepted his first athletics director position at Brown University in 1971 and moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. His next stop was Stanford University, where the Cardinal amassed 27 national championships during Geiger's 11-year term. He went on to the University of Maryland in 1990 before landing at Ohio State in 1994. Geiger received his bachelor's degree from Syracuse University.

Eric Hyman, Texas Christian University, West
Despite the challenge of guiding the Horned Frogs through two conference realignments in the past four years, Athletics Director Eric Hyman has maintained and expanded a successful Texas Christian University program. Hyman led TCU's move to Conference USA in 2001-02, and has again propelled the impending shift to the Mountain West Conference, set to take place in the 2005-06 season. The university's debut campaign in Conference USA featured one regular season championship, five tournament championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances, more than any other conference member. Despite the program's changing nature, the Horned Frogs have garnered 25 conference titles in Hyman's six years. He also implemented a three-stage facility revitalization plan that has resulted in the addition of a new soccer stadium, football practice fields, baseball stadium and football video board, among other developments. His innovative vision also resulted in the Horned Frogs' unique marketing partnership with ESPN Regional, one that will increase exposure and revenue for the growing program. A former football coach and student-athlete, Hyman's administrative career includes posts as associate athletics director at Furman University and athletics director at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). In 1992, VMI honored Hyman by creating the Bissell-Hyman Award for the athletics team exemplifying academic, athletics and military excellence. He later moved to North Carolina State University as executive associate athletics director, and then led the Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks as athletics director prior to arriving at TCU. Hyman earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina and his master's from Furman.

Judy MacLeod, University of Tulsa, Central
In seven years as director of athletics at the University of Tulsa, Judy MacLeod has increased academic and athletics achievement standards. Excluding the service academies, Tulsa is the smallest institution in Division I, yet MacLeod has shaped a program that boasts the second highest graduation rate among Division I student-athletes, based on the 2003 USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement rankings. During her tenure, Tulsa student-athletes have received 22 CoSIDA Academic All-America Awards. She also facilitated Tulsa's transition from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Western Athletic Conference in 1995-96 and initiated the Golden Hurricanes' participation in the NCAA Life Skills program. Additionally, Tulsa introduced women's basketball and constructed numerous athletics facilities under MacLeod's watch. Her extended responsibilities include service to the Title IX Task Force, NCAA Championships and Competition Cabinet, NCAA Playing and Practice Season Subcommittee and the NCAA Football Certification Committee. In 1998, MacLeod received the Newsmaker Award from the Tulsa Chapter of Women in Communication in recognition of her sustained commitment to the greater Tulsa community. MacLeod is a former sport manager for the Goodwill Games. She joined the Golden Hurricanes staff in 1990 and served in various capacities before accepting the interim athletics director position in 1995, ascending to the permanent role in 1997. MacLeod holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Puget Sound and a master's from Tulsa.

Division I-AA/I-AAA

Dianne Murphy, University of Denver, West
In its five years as an NCAA Division I institution, the University of Denver has finished in the top third of the Directors' Cup standings and earned the Sun Belt Conference graduation rate award each of the four years it has been awarded. The men's ice hockey team also captured the 2003-04 Division I championship. These achievements were made under the watch of Athletics Director Dianne Murphy, who, since assuming the position in 1998, has successfully guided the Pioneer program through its transition from Division II to Division I. Murphy introduced a comprehensive support program for student-athletes that has resulted in multiple Pioneer students earning Academic All-America status and a men's swimming and diving team that posted the highest grade point average in the nation in 2002-03. Murphy is chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Issues Committee, a Peer Reviewer and on the Selection Committee for the Wade Trophy. An advocate for females in athletics, Murphy was NACWAA's president in 2002-03. In 2001, she was named NACWAA's Division I-AAA Administrator of the Year. She was also named one of the Most Powerful Women in Colorado Sports by the Denver Post in 1998 and 1999. Previous administrative positions took her to Kentucky State University, the University of Iowa and Cornell University. Murphy earned her bachelor and master's degrees from Tennessee Tech University and her doctorate from Florida State University.

Jim Murphy, Davidson College, Southeast
Jim Murphy returned to his alma mater, Davidson College, in 1995, where he has since led the Wildcats program as its athletics director. Under Murphy's guidance, Davidson has overcome the obstacles of being one of the smallest institutions competing at the Division I level to emerge as a force both athletically and academically. In 2001-02, the 91 percent graduation rate among Davidson student-athletes was the highest among Division I institutions in the nation, and the Wildcats' 96 percent rate in 2002-03 earned the institution second place honors nationally. By means of a $10 million fund-raising campaign, Murphy created the Davidson Scholarship Program to reward deserving student-athletes in select sports. A member of the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee, Murphy also chairs both the Division I-AA Governance Committee and the Southern Conference's Athletics Directors Association, is vice chair of the Southern Conference Finance Committee and is on the NCAA Division I Management Council, Division I Football Issues Committee and the Division I Governance Committee. Murphy devoted 10 years to service as the executive associate athletics director and chief financial officer at Georgia Tech, a tenure that included duties as tournament director for three NCAA Division I Basketball Championship first and second round games. A certified public accountant, Murphy spent six years with the accounting firm of KPMG Peat Marwick in Atlanta. Murphy holds a bachelor's degree from Davidson and a master's from Georgia Tech.

Ron Petro, University of Rhode Island, Northeast
Since the introduction of Ron Petro as athletics director in 1992, the University of Rhode Island has collected 21 Atlantic 10 Conference titles and completed its most successful season in university history. In 2002-03, the Rams won three conference championships and hosted two NIT contests and the women's Atlantic 10 basketball tournament, leading to the Lady Rams' first trip to the finals. His influence has contributed to the program's academic improvement, as the number of student-athletes on the Dean's List has climbed from 12.5 to 27 percent during his tenure. He was the guiding force behind construction of the university's $54 million multi-purpose arena and supervised development of the URI Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2003, Petro was honored with the Contribution to Amateur Football Award from the Rhode Island chapter of the National Football Foundation. A former president of six conferences, Petro is currently president of the Atlantic 10 Football Conference, vice president of the Atlantic 10 Conference and a member of the Division I Men's Golf and the I-AA Football Governance committees. Previously, he was the athletics director at Marist College for seven years and spent eight years in the same capacity at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he entered with the program on probationary status and transformed it into a competitive force with seven of nine teams participating in NCAA championships. Petro earned his bachelor's degree from Manhattan College and master's degrees from Penn State University and Southern Connecticut State University.

Bruce Rasmussen, Creighton University, Central
In his 24th year with Creighton University and his 10th as athletics director, Bruce Rasmussen's athletics program has continually set and achieved increasing standards of excellence. Athletically, the Bluejays have become a fixture in national championships, appearing in five of the last six NCAA men's basketball tournaments and the last 12 NCAA men's soccer tournaments. Rasmussen's tenure has also been highlighted by the addition of women's volleyball and hosting multiple College World Series championships. When added to the successful fund-raising and construction efforts that resulted in new soccer, baseball and softball facilities and the Student-Athlete Support Center, it is evident that Rasmussen has developed a program of great productivity for Bluejay staff and student-athletes. Prior to his administrative career, Rasmussen led the Creighton women's basketball team as head coach, finishing his 12-year post as the winningest coach in Bluejay history. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Coach of the Year in 1992, Rasmussen led the team to a WAC championship and its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in his final year with the team. After stepping down from his post as head coach, he took on the position of associate athletics director, serving for two years before assuming athletics director duties in 1994. Rasmussen earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa. GeneralSports TURF Systems AD

Division II

Clyde Doughty, New York Institute of Technology, Northeast
Athletics director Clyde Doughty first set foot on the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) campus 24 years ago, and has since remained a fixture in the Bears' athletics program. Following a successful career as a NYIT student-athlete, Doughty joined the Bears' staff, first as an academic advisor, later ascending to assistant director of athletics status before assuming the role of athletics director in 1988. The Bears have enjoyed numerous successes under Doughty's watch, including two NCAA Division II men's lacrosse championships and multiple Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) titles. Doughty also founded the NYIT Athletics Association to create development opportunities for the athletics department. Not only does he oversee the athletics and recreation programs on both the Old Westbury and Central Islip campuses, but Doughty is also a member of the NCAA Division II Management Council and chair of the ECAC men's basketball committee. He currently serves as men's basketball chair for the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC), and formerly held terms as NYCAC president, ECAC Executive Committee member and Northeast Men's Basketball Regional Committee member. Doughty earned his bachelor and two master's degrees from NYIT, and recently completed his doctorate at Kennedy Western University.

Larry Holstad, Winona State University, Central
Since Larry Holstad joined the Winona State University athletics department in 1997 as athletics director, the alumnus and former student-athlete has enriched and developed the Warrior program. Holstad's tenure has witnessed unprecedented success for Winona football, as the Warriors have appeared in regional playoff competition in two of the last three years. The athletics facilities landscape under Holstad has also realized significant improvement with the addition of a new weight room and women's locker room. As a result of Holstad's efforts, Warrior student-athletes in football, soccer, softball and baseball are no longer limited by the constraints of daylight to dictate practice and competition schedules thanks to the addition of lights to their respective facilities. Holstad currently serves on the NCAA Management Council and as chair of the Athletics Administrators Committee for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. A member of the Minnesota State Title IX Task Force Committee, Holstad is a former regional chair of the NCAA National Football Committee and member of the NCAA Midwest Regional Football Committee. In the community, Holstad is involved with the Forest City Booster Clubs, Lions Club, YMCA and Special Olympics. Holstad received his bachelor's degree from Winona State and went on to earn a master's from Minnesota State University Mankato.

Jane Meier, Northern Kentucky University, Southeast
Jane Meier's 16 years of guidance as athletics director at Northern Kentucky University have led the program to 14 NCAA regional championships, 12 national championship contests, eight Final Four competitions and an NCAA women's basketball championship title in 2000. Along the way, the Nords claimed four consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) All-Sports titles, from 1999-2002, as well as the inaugural GLVC Commissioner's Cup in 2003. Meier also orchestrated the addition of women's soccer and golf teams and the creation of a $500,000 endowed scholarship for softball. Her involvement beyond the Northern Kentucky community includes seats on the NCAA volleyball and men and women's basketball committees, the GLVC Executive Committee and the NACWAA Board of Directors. She was honored with the WBCA Administrator of the Year Award in 2001, and her dedication also earned her induction into the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame and the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. Prior to her position as athletics director, Meier spent 10 years coaching volleyball, basketball and softball at Northern Kentucky, during which time she led all three teams to postseason play and national rankings, becoming the only coach in university history to accomplish such a feat. Meier earned her bachelor's degree from the College of Mount St. Joseph and a master's from Eastern Kentucky University.

Ron Prettyman, California State University Dominguez Hills, West
When Ron Prettyman arrived at California State University Dominguez Hills in 1995 as athletics director, the Toros sponsored just eight sports. Today, the program not only houses 11 sports, but has also expanded its physical presence on campus as well through construction of the Hughes Education and Athletics Center. Prettyman has remained active on various NACDA and NCAA commitments including service to the NACDA Executive and Directors' Cup committees and the NCAA Nominating Committee. A past president of the Division II Athletics Directors Association, Prettyman currently sits on the NCAA Olympic Sport Liaison Committee and is the chair of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Game Management Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Carson Boys and Girls Club. Prettyman joined the Toros staff after devoting 13 years as athletics director at Vanguard University. He received a bachelor's degree from Southern California College and a master's from California State University Stanislaus.

Division III

Bob King, Trinity University (Tex.), West
In 11 years as athletics director, Bob King's accomplishments at the helm of the Trinity University (Tex.) athletics department have been realized on multiple platforms. On the athletics field, the Tigers have claimed 91 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) titles since King's arrival, in addition to winning 10 of the last 11 SCAC President's Trophy awards. Not only have four teams won NCAA Division III championships, but the Tigers have also earned distinction as the only NCAA institution in any division to have its football, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer teams competing in the NCAA semifinals in the same season, a feat the Tigers accomplished in 2002. The university was selected as the third best college in Division III for female student-athletes by Sports Illustrated for Women. In the classroom, Trinity student-athletes have led the SCAC in Spring Academic Honor Roll accolades during King's tenure, while accumulating a composite grade point average that exceeds the university average. In this time, 14 student-athletes have been awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. King's program has been recognized on yet another platform, as the Texas State Senate passed a resolution honoring the Tigers' academic and athletics excellence during the 2002-03 academic year. King received his bachelor's degree from Millsaps College and his master's from Idaho State University.

Mike Mould, College Misericordia, Central
Mike Mould has dedicated 42 years of service to his duties as athletics director. When he retires in August after spending the last 14 years at College Misericordia, Mould's lasting contributions to the college will include 18 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) titles; 19 ECAC and two NCAA playoff berths; the addition of 10 sports; and successful transitions from NAIA to NCAA Division III competition and from the PAC to the ECAC. The Cougars have also claimed five PAC Commissioner's Cups in the women's division and one in the coed division during Mould's tenure, in addition to realizing the construction of new indoor and outdoor facilities. An attendee at nearly every NACDA Convention since its inception, Mould has remained dedicated to conference and national organizations throughout his career. Mould is not only a past president of the PAC, but he penned the conference's original constitution, bylaws and operating codes as well. He has also chaired the NCAA Division III men's soccer committee and the ECAC South women's soccer committee. Mould's first administrative post was at Keystone Community College, where he led the athletics department as its director for 28 years before accepting the same position at Misericordia in 1990. At Keystone, Mould received the college's highest honor when named the Chamberlain Chair. He also holds Misericordia's top honor, the Misericordia Merit Award. Mould holds bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Springfield College and a master's degree from Penn State University.

Larry Schiner, New Jersey City University, Southeast
In June 2005, New Jersey City University will bid farewell to Larry Schiner when he retires following 28 years as athletics director. Since his promotion from assistant athletics director and head basketball coach to athletics director in 1977, Schiner has overseen the construction of the university's Athletics and Fitness Center, the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletics Complex and the development of a comprehensive community service program for student-athletes. He was a driving force behind the creation of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), the Collegiate Athletics Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) and the New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Coaches Association (NJCBCA), serving as a past president of each organization. He was awarded the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletics Director/All-American Football Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, and was the 2003 Jostens-ECAC Male Administrator of the Year. He was inducted into NJCU's Athletics Hall of Fame as a coach in 1980, and in 1982, was presented with the Jersey City State College Honorary Alumni Award. In 1995, he was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame and received the Garden State Award from the CAANJ. A member of the ECAC Championships and Eastern Regional Football Selection Committee, he has also served terms on the NCAA's Division III Steering Committee, Men's Basketball Committee, Nominating Committee and as chair of the Mid-Atlantic Division III Men's Basketball Committee. He earned both his bachelor and master's degrees from Maine.

Chad Yowell, Wheaton College (Mass.), Northeast
Sixteen years ago, Chad Yowell was hired to oversee the eight Wheaton College (Mass.) women's programs as athletics director. Since his arrival, he has introduced four additional women's squads while laying the foundation for a men's program following Wheaton's move to a co-educational system. Yowell has led the Lyons to eight NCAA and 11 ECAC championships, 38 New England Women and Men's Athletics Conference (NEWMAC) crowns and top 25 finishes in the last three Directors' Cup races. He oversaw the construction of the $12 million Evelyn Danzig Haas Athletics Complex and has hosted many national competitions including the 1991 and 2002 United States Synchronized Swimming Championships. He also created the Wheaton Athletics Mentor program and the Student-Athlete Advisor Group. His service to the athletics community includes positions with the NCAA Division III Management Council, Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and joint subcommittee on the future of Division III athletics. The first male to serve as president of the New England Women's Eight Conference (NEW-8), Yowell also sits on the ECAC Executive Council. Yowell entered higher education administration at Pacific University, where he served as dean of students, director of athletics and assistant professor before accepting the post at Wheaton. After earning his bachelor's degree from Utah State University, Yowell went on to receive a master's degree from Portland State University.

NAIA

Greg Feris, Wayland Baptist University, West
The Wayland Baptist University athletics program has realized unprecedented growth as well as the introduction of various innovative programs in Greg Feris' 14 years as athletics director. Entering an independent athletics program upon accepting the post in 1990, Feris guided the Pioneers' transition into the Sooner Athletic Conference and added four new varsity programs. He founded Team Wayland, a program that fosters student-athlete involvement in community and campus service projects. He also created the Champions of Character program, which promotes integrity, respect and sportsmanship among student-athletes and coaches nationwide. The founder of the Wayland Athletics Hall of Honor, Feris has served NACDA as a past Executive Committee member and current member of both the Directors' Cup and Honors and Awards committees. He was special assistant to the president of the NAIA and currently sits on the NAIA National Coordinating Committee and National Gender Equity Committee. His dedication has been rewarded with recognition as NACDA's West Region NAIA Athletics Director of the Year in 1999-2000, NAIA National Athletics Director of the Year in 1997-98 and the NAIA Award of Merit in 1996-97 and 1999-2000. Prior to his post with the Pioneers, Feris served as interim director of athletics at McMurry University and as athletics director at Vernon Regional College. A graduate of McMurry, Feris earned a master's degree from West Texas A&M University, later receiving a doctorate from Brigham Young University.

Stan Harrison, Tennessee Wesleyan College, Southeast
The demands of serving double duty as director of athletics and head women's basketball coach have not hindered Stan Harrison's ability to elevate the quality of Tennessee Wesleyan College athletics. Harrison has served the university in various capacities since 1986, accepting the role of athletics director in 1996. Since assuming control of the department, the Bulldogs have added five sports and maintained a graduation rate of more than 80 percent among student-athletes. As a coach, Harrison's squads have been equally successful, claiming nine conference championships and earning six national tournament appearances in his 22 years leading the team. A winner of six Appalachian Athletics Conference (AAC) Coach of the Year titles, Harrison was also inducted into the Tennessee Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 1992. He served two terms as AAC president and one as president of the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches Association. He is currently completing terms as chair of NAIA Region XII and member of the NAIA Council of Athletics Administrators. Before shifting his focus to the Tennessee Wesleyan athletics program, Harrison performed the duties of dean of students and vice president for student development for the university. In the community, Harrison has been on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement. Harrison holds bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Tennessee.

Susan Hlavacek, Notre Dame College, Northeast
In eight years as athletics director at Notre Dame College, Susan Hlavacek has been charged with the challenge of adapting the athletics program to the changing landscape of a newly co-educational program. In the wake of this expansion, Hlavacek guided the creation of four additional women's teams and laid the foundation for the college's first seven men's sports. Hlavacek also guided the Falcons' entrance into the American Mideast Conference and directed the renovation of the Keller Center to accommodate the increased student-athlete population. Additionally, Hlavacek manages the duties of compliance and facility management for Notre Dame, as well as maintaining responsibility of the department's budget and fund-raising efforts. An accomplished student-athlete at Cleveland State University, she was the first female inducted into the CSU Hall of Fame in 1991. Hlavacek went on to play for the Women's Basketball League's Philadelphia Fox, later serving as a teacher and coach at various Cleveland high schools before joining the Falcons in 1997. In 2003, she was named the NACWAA Administrator of the Year.

David Stair, Evangel University, Central
David Stair joined the Evangel University athletics department as athletics director in 1982 and has catapulted the program to national prominence and international exposure. The Crusaders have accumulated a national championship, five national tournament appearances, 29 district championship tournament appearances and 47 All-Americans during Stair's tenure. He also facilitated the program's historic involvement in the first American football games played on Chinese soil when he organized the football team's trip in 1991. Under Stair's leadership, Crusader student-athletes have achieved a 90 percent graduation rate and 35 have earned Academic All-America honors. Stair's tenure has also realized the creation of Evangel's Athletics Hall of Fame and the Athletics Directors Academic Top Ten distinction. For his efforts, Stair received the NAIA Male Administrator of the Year Award and Evangel's E.M. & Estella Clark Award for Teaching, Scholarship and Service. A past NACDA Executive Committee and current Directors' Cup Committee member, Stair was president of the NAIA Athletics Directors Association and chaired the Council of Athletics Administrators. Stair arrived at Evangel in 1976 as professor of physical education. He was named athletics director in 1982, and in 2000 added a third title to that of professor and athletics director when he became the chair of the department of physical education and athletics. He was named one of the 10 most powerful sports figures in the Springfield area in 2002. After attaining his bachelor and master's degrees from Cortland State University, Stair earned his doctorate from the University of Arkansas.

Junior/Community College

Will Dunne, Daytona Beach Community College, Southeast
Will Dunne has served Daytona Beach Community College (DBCC) as director of athletics since 1988. In that time, the Falcons have claimed 33 Mid-Florida Conference titles, eight NJCAA Region VIII championships and one NJCAA national crown. During Dunne's tenure, 97 percent of the student-athletes have either graduated and/or transferred to four-year institutions. Dunne also led the creation of a mentoring program for student-athletes, the Falcons in Action. Along with his duties as athletics director, Dunne serves as chair of the health and wellness department and oversees the DBCC's community-based fitness and aquatics facility. Beyond campus, he currently chairs the Florida Community College Activity Association's Council of Athletics Affairs and is the NJCAA Region VIII assistant men's athletics commissioner. A DBCC graduate, Dunne went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida. He is currently completing work toward a doctorate at Florida.

Kevin McCarthy, SUNY Cobleskill, Northeast
In 1992, Kevin McCarthy answered the call to juggle the duties of both athletics director and head men's basketball coach at the State University of New York at Cobleskill. He has achieved great success in both realms, leading the Fighting Tigers program to a national championship crown and 14 conference championships as athletics director and earning five NJCAA Coach of the Year distinctions. McCarthy's tenure has also produced 93 All-Americans and 72 Academic All-Americans. McCarthy, who also serves as an associate professor at Cobleskill, is an active member of the NATYCAA Executive Committee, the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Board of Directors and is the assistant director of Region III of the NJCAA. In 2003, McCarthy represented the junior college athletics community in a presentation to the Department of Education Equities in Athletics Commission. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the United States Sports Academy. McCarthy was awarded the Guardian of the Game Award for Excellence in Education by the NABC, an organization for which he also serves as an advisory board member. The University of Chicago was the starting point for McCarthy's career in athletics administration, where he served as assistant chair of the physical education, athletics and recreational sports department. He was also associate director of athletics, head men's basketball coach, and later director of athletics at Carthage College before joining the Fighting Tigers program. McCarthy earned his bachelor's degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and his master's from Central Michigan University.

Bob Myers, Solano Community College, West
The standards of athletics and academic achievement at Solano Community College have reached unparalleled heights in Bob Myers' 12 years as dean of Health, Physical Education and Athletics. Upon his entry to the program, Myers established a semester honor roll to award student-athletes' academic achievements, and went further by implementing a unique distinction for the student-athletes with the top grade point average in their respective sports. Myers also created the Solano College Athletic Booster Club to generate department funds and initiated the Solano College Athletics Hall of Fame. Further, Myers' leadership was instrumental in Solano's invitation to host three California Community College State Championships. An accomplished contributor to the track and field community, Myers has coached three Olympians and was a Regional United States Track and Field Coach of the Year. He has also published an extensive volume of articles and books pertaining to various track and field issues, in addition to producing instructional videos for student-athletes and coaches. Myers currently serves on both the NACDA and NATYCAA Executive Committees and leads the Bay Valley Football Conference as its president. He was named to the California State University Chico Hall of Fame in 1992. After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Cal State Chico, Myers earned his master's degree from the University of Arizona and a doctorate from California Coast University.

John Spezia, Danville Area Community College, Central
John Spezia was named head basketball coach at Danville Area Community College in 1982, a position he has held in conjunction with that of athletics director since 1989. Since his return to his alma mater he created the DACC Booster Club and added nine sports in his 21 years with the program. He also transformed a basketball team coming off three consecutive losing seasons into a thriving program boasting winning records in 15 of the past 21 seasons. Along the way, Spezia's teams have also claimed multiple conference and regional championships as well as a NJCAA Division II championship. Through the Hoopmakers Read to Win Program, Spezia designed a partnership between Jaguar student-athletes and local elementary schools to promote literacy development. In 2001-02, Spezia took a break from his DACC duties to join the British Professional Basketball League's Derby Storm as general manager and head coach. He has also organized the national NJCAA participation in international tournaments such as the Caribbean Splash Tournament in Antigua. A former NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year, Spezia earned induction into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. His responsibilities include service as chair of the Division II Region Committee for Basketball, assistant director for the Division II Basketball Tournament and representative for the NJCAA Division II Basketball Coaches Association. Spezia earned his bachelor's degree from Eureka College and a master's from Valparaiso University.