CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced that Warde Manuel, Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan, has been named the Association's President for the 2020-21 membership year.
 
"I am honored to step into the President's role with NACDA during this pivotal time in collegiate athletics," said Manuel. "Our organization and the schools we represent face considerable challenges and uncertainty; there is no better time to look inward at our structures, processes, relationships, and communication with each other. This organization means a great deal to me, and I am energized to collaborate with so many talented individuals within our profession." 
 
Manuel succeeds University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, who served as President in 2019-20. He moves into the President role following the retirement of outgoing NACDA 1^st Vice President Jean Lenti Ponsetto, who announced her retirement in June following an illustrious 45-year career at DePaul University. Ponsetto served as a NACDA Officer since 2017 after a four-year term on the Executive Committee (2011-15).
 
Manuel took over the helm of the Michigan athletics department on January 29, 2016. His return to Ann Arbor brought him full-circle from an accomplished student-athlete and athletics administrator at U-M to a distinguished career as an athletics director and back again.
 
A three-time Michigan alumnus and two-sport athlete who played football under Bo Schembechler, Manuel returned to U-M following a nearly four-year run as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut. UConn teams won six NCAA national championships under Manuel's leadership -- the most ever by UConn teams in a three-year period. 
 
Prior to arriving in Connecticut, he led a 20-sport program at the University at Buffalo from 2005-12. During his tenure, the Buffalo Bulls experienced an unparalleled period of success from an athletics, academic and community service perspective.
 
Alongside Manuel, Jamie Pollard, director of athletics at Iowa State University, will serve as NACDA's 1^st Vice President, with three newly-appointed Officers. Rick Hart, director of athletics at Southern Methodist University (SMU), will serve as 2^nd Vice President; Kim Record, director of athletics at UNC Greensboro (UNCG), will serve as 3^rd Vice President and Pennie Parker, director of athletics at Rollins College will serve as Secretary.

NACDA Executive Committee members selected to serve beginning in 2020-21 include: Anthony Azama, director of athletics at Washington University St. Louis; Whit Babcock, director of athletics at Virginia Tech;  Charlie Cobb, director of athletics at Georgia State University; Allen Greene, director of athletics at Auburn University; Christina Hundley, director of athletics at Paradise Valley Community College; Chrissi Rawak, director of athletics at the University of Delaware; and Mike Snyder, director of athletics at Illinois College.

The administrators listed above join the following individuals on the NACDA Executive Committee – DePauw AD Stevie Baker-Watson; NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr; Tallahassee CC AD Rob Chaney; North Dakota AD Bill Chaves; UNC Asheville AD Janet Cone; Texas VP/AD Chris Del Conte; Central Washington AD Dennis Francois; AD Heather Lyke; NCAA VP of the Eligibility Center Felicia Martin; University of Saint Francis AD Mike McCaffrey; USC Beaufort AD Quin Monahan; Lenoir-Rhyne AD Kim Pate; College of Southern Maryland AD Michelle Ruble; and Bellarmine AD Scott Wiegandt.
 
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 56th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 15,700 college athletics administrators at more than 1,700 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.