CLEVELAND -- The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the Association's Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The list of inductees includes: Gary Barta, University of Iowa; Sharon Beverly, Vassar College; Ken Kavanagh, Florida Gulf Coast University; Lee McElroy, University at Albany; Tom Rubbelke, Concordia University, St. Paul; Doug Spiwak, Harper College; Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University; and Ingrid Wicker McCree, North Carolina Central University. The group of deserving individuals will be honored in conjunction with the 60^th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Monday, June 9, starting at 4 p.m.

Gary Barta, University of Iowa
Gary Barta retired as the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair at the University of Iowa on August 1, 2023, after serving as athletics director for 17 years. He originally joined the Iowa athletics department in 2006.

During Barta's tenure, numerous Iowa teams achieved on-the-field success, including four NCAA team titles, 27 Big Ten Conference team titles, several individual Big Ten titles, nearly 500 All-America honorees, more than 160 student-athletes recognized as first-team All-Big Ten, and multiple National Player of the Year award winners, Big Ten Player of the Year recipients, and Coach of the Year recognitions.

In the classroom, the Hawkeyes garnered more than 750 Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar recipients under Barta's guidance, and for eight years in a row Iowa recorded a 3.0 or higher student-athlete average GPA, 89 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR), and all teams met or exceeded the NCAA standards for Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Barta oversaw more than $380 million in facility upgrades and new construction projects at Iowa, including Kinnick Stadium's North End Zone, the Hansen Football Performance Center, Gerdin Athletic Learning Center, Carver-Hawkeye Arena Howard Family Pavilion, Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center, Nagle Family Clubhouse and Hoak Family Golf Complex, Iowa Soccer Operations Center, P. Sue Beckwith Boathouse, and the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center natatorium, among others.

Barta led a team that raised more than $650 million in private support for athletics scholarships, operations, facilities, and endowments. Under his watch, the athletics endowment grew from $31.6 million to $76 million, creating numerous student-athlete scholarships in addition to administrative and coaching endowments.

Additionally, Barta spearheaded the naming of Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in 2021, as well as the creation of the Duke Slater sculpture as part of the north end zone renovation. That same year, Iowa also became the first Power Five school to add women's wrestling.

Barta served on numerous NCAA committees during his career, including the NCAA Division I Council for four years. He also served for three years (2019-21) on the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee, two of those years as chair, and was recognized as Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) at the 2016 NACDA & Affiliates Convention.

Prior to Iowa, Barta served as athletics director at the University of Wyoming from 2003-06.

Sharon Beverly, Vassar College
Sharon Beverly served as director of athletics and physical education at Vassar College for 10 years, making history as the first female AD at Vassar. In total, she has more than 30 years of higher education leadership experience in academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics at both private and public institutions.

In 2010, she was the recipient of the ECAC Woman Administrator of the Year Award. She oversaw the $11 million renovation of Prentiss Field, turning it into the premier place for Vassar athletics.

Under Beverly's leadership, the Vassar athletics department grew to include seven new full-time coaches, including its first full-time strength and conditioning coach, additional assistant coaches and administrative support. She also fostered the addition of both men's and women's track & field, with both programs debuting in 2008. In addition, she was selected by Dr. Charlotte Westerhaus, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for the NCAA, as one of four athletics directors to redesign the NCAA Fellows Program. In 2009, Beverly was selected as a panelist for the Women of Color Symposium, sponsored by the NCAA and the Black Women's Sports Foundation.

Following her term at Vassar, she filled dual roles as assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of athletics and recreation at the College of New Jersey.

Beverly was the first female and first Division III representative to serve as MOAA President, serving in that role from 2013-15. In 2014, she was named one of the Top 30 Women in Higher Education by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Since 2016, Beverly launched Beverly & Associates Consulting and has held a variety of teaching roles at Concordia University of Chicago, Rutgers University, and Immaculata University. She was the interim director of athletics at Guilford College (N.C.) prior to serving as acting vice president of athletics and recreation at the University of Hartford from 2021-23, where she stewarded the department through its evolution from Division I to Division III.

Prior to her time in administration, Beverly enjoyed a successful 20-year career as a head women's basketball coach at three different institutions, including 11 seasons at Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), where she was inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ken Kavanagh, Florida Gulf Coast University
After 15 years of leading the athletics department at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Ken Kavanagh retired in December 2023.

Kavanagh guided the Eagles through their transition to Division I, where FGCU achieved unprecedented success, securing 97 conference titles – 61 regular season and 36 tournament – and 49 combined NCAA Tournament appearances across 10 sports. Eight of the programs achieved at least one victory, including the men's basketball team's historic run as the first No. 15 seed to make a Sweet 16 appearance with their 2013 "Dunk City" squad and a record three first round wins as a No. 12 seed by women's basketball. Eleven of the 15 programs also earned first-ever national ranking distinctions.

In addition to athletics achievements, Kavanagh oversaw significant facility enhancements and academic accomplishments, with FGCU student-athletes achieving record GPAs and earning prestigious scholar-athlete distinctions.

Kavanagh's commitment to community service was also remarkable, with FGCU contributing nearly 80,000 hours of service over the course of his tenure. This dedication to service earned FGCU recognition as a finalist for national community service awards.

Prior to his time at FGCU, Kavanagh served as director of athletics at Bradley University for 13 years, where he oversaw notable achievements in both athletics and academics, including the Braves men's basketball team making the Sweet 16 in 2006 and an Elite 8 appearance for men's soccer in 2007. He played a pivotal role in elevating Bradley's athletics facilities and establishing programs to support student-athlete development.

Kavanagh was the founder of DI-AAA ADA in 2001 and served as the Association's President in 2011-12. He was a member of the NACDA Executive Committee from 2015-19, and earned NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) honors in 2007-08, 2012-13 and 2018-19.

In 2024, Kavanagh received the DI-AAA ADA Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lee McElroy, University at Albany
Lee McElroy served as the director of athletics at the University at Albany from 2000-14. He came to UAlbany from American University, where he served as director of athletics for four years. Prior to that, he served as director of athletics at Sacramento State for seven years.

During his tenure at UAlbany, McElroy oversaw the growth of the university's athletics programs from Division II to a successful member of Division I. The department won 74 conference titles and earned 31 NCAA post-season appearances during that time. In 2013, McElroy and UAlbany opened a new multi-sports complex featuring Bob Ford Field, where the Great Danes football team began its first year as a member of what is now the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

UAlbany athletics teams won three America East Commissioner's Cups under McElroy's guidance (2007, 2013 and 2014). He served as President of the America East Board of Directors in 2007 and 2011.

McElroy served on the NACDA Executive Committee in 2000-01 before moving up the Officer ranks and becoming NACDA President in 2006-07. In 2008-09, he was recognized as a NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY). McElroy was honored by the McLendon Foundation in 2012 as part of its Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame. In June 2014, he was named emeritus vice president and director of athletics by the State University of New York (SUNY).

Following his time at UAlbany, McElroy led the athletics department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) from 2015-23 as associate vice president and director of athletics. At RPI, he oversaw 12 men's and 11 women's programs involving nearly 600 student-athletes, as well as the intramurals program, engaging over 2,000 students.

In April 2022, McElroy was honored with LifePath's Third Age Achievement Award, designed to pay tribute to members of the Capital Region who make significant contributions to the community after turning 60.

McElroy still serves NACDA as a member of the Association's Board of Directors, Finance-Management Committee and Investment Committee. From 1996-2004, he was the chair of the Learfield Directors' Cup Committee.

Tom Rubbelke, Concordia University, St. Paul
Tom Rubbelke spent parts of four decades at Concordia-St. Paul, coming to CSP as an assistant softball coach in 1983 until he was named head softball coach in 1998, leading the team for seven years before being appointed as Concordia's athletics director during the 2004-05 academic year. His transition into athletics administration started near the end of the 2001-02 academic year when he was named the department's assistant athletics director and compliance coordinator in conjunction with his softball coaching duties.

He served 12 years as Concordia's athletics director, and in his time leading the department, the Golden Bears captured an NCAA record seven volleyball national championships in a row, earned 12 appearances at the NCAA Division II Championships, 19 NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, competed in 34 NCAA Tournaments and captured a combined 26 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) championships (regular season and tournament).

Additionally, Rubbelke presided over a department that was awarded as the host site for seven NCAA regional championships, hosting numerous NSIC Tournaments and culminating in hosting back-to-back NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships at the Gangelhoff Center in 2008 and 2009 with the Golden Bears winning the championships on their home court in front of a packed arena of CSP students, staff, alumni and families.

In 2017, CSP designated naming rights in its Athletic Performance Center for the Rubbelke Weight Room.

In the classroom during Rubbelke's tenure as athletics director, Concordia's teams earned 46 team academic awards by their respective coaches' associations, had 11 programs ranked in the top-10 in the country for their team grade point averages and produced six teams that had the highest GPA in Division II in their sport.

Above all, his coaching and administrative career was defined by a commitment to the student-athlete experience, raising the bar for increased student-athlete scholarship funding along with improvements to facilities across the board for training, competition, and studying.

In 2011-12, Rubbelke was recognized as a NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY). A former member of the D2 ADA Board of Directors, Rubbelke was the recipient of the Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. In 2023, he was inducted into the CSP Hall of Fame.

Doug Spiwak, Harper College
Doug Spiwak retired as director of athletics and fitness on June 30, 2022 after a 33-year career at Harper College.

Spiwak guided Harper's athletics department since 2004 and served as head athletic trainer for the 15 previous years. During his tenure, Spiwak strengthened the women's programs, helped to transform the Hawks brand, supported the renovation of the Foglia Foundation Health and Recreation Center, and served as a tireless advocate for student-athlete success on and off the field.

The Hawks won 27 national championships during Spiwak's career at Harper.

Spiwak played an instrumental role in the $40 million renovation of the former Wellness and Sports Center at Harper, helping with the planning and construction process to reimagine the nearly 40-year-old building as a one-of-a-kind center promoting a holistic culture of wellness through a new model of academic, athletic and recreational opportunities and health services.

Spiwak left an indelible mark on community college athletics at a local, regional and national level. He served in numerous capacities over the last three decades, including NJCAA Region 4 Men's Region Director, Women's Assistant Region Director, Division I Tennis Chair, Football Chair and Division III Volleyball Chair for Region 4. Additionally, he chaired the NJCAA National Student-Athlete Success Council and also served as the North Central Community College Conference (N4C) President from 2014-22.

In 2019-20, Spiwak was recognized as a NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY). In 2021, Harper athletics unveiled its Hall of Fame, which Spiwak helped guide through design, construction and completion.

Spiwak served as NATYCAA President in 2018-19 and received the Association's L. William Miller Award in 2023, which is presented annually to a member of NATYCAA who demonstrates excellence in leadership, service and integrity in an athletics program at a two-year college or organization.

After his retirement, Spiwak was inducted into the NJCAA Region 4 Hall of Fame. He continues to represent the region on select local and national sports committees, including his current position as chair of the NJCAA Cross Country and Half Marathon Committee.

Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University
Ron Wellman served as athletics director at Wake Forest from 1992 until he retired on April 30, 2019.

During his 27 years as athletics director, Wake Forest won 22 ACC Championships and five NCAA team championships as well as seven individual national titles. The team titles came in field hockey in three consecutive seasons from 2002-04, in men's soccer in 2007 and men's tennis in 2018. Under Wellman's guidance, the Demon Deacons also had 607 first team All-ACC selections, 41 ACC Players of the Year, 36 ACC Coaches of the Year and 27 Academic All-Americans.

Wellman played a major role on the national level of athletics as well. He served as chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Committee, the NCAA Division I Management Council, the NCAA Baseball Committee and the NCAA Baseball Academic Enhancement Committee. He is a Past President of the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association (now FBS AD Association) and also served on the NCAA Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee.

In the Wellman era, the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was always 92 percent or higher, placing Wake Forest in the top 10 percent of all NCAA Division I schools.

His service, care and respect for the many student-athletes and coaches that he worked with were recognized by the presentation of the first Ron and Linda Wellman Life Teammate Award in 2019. The annual award recognizes a male and female student-athlete who best represents the characteristics of being a life teammate. At that time, the announcement was also made that the Wake Forest athletics department had its mailing address changed to 1 Wellman Way. In addition, the road that leads directly to the Sutton Sports Performance Center and Shah Basketball Complex culminates at Wellman Plaza.

Wellman was recognized as NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) in 2002-03 and 2007-08. In September 2020, Wellman was selected by the Board of the LEAD1 Association (now FBS AD Association) to receive the 30th Homer Rice Award, a national honor awarded annually to retired athletics directors with transformative contributions to intercollegiate athletics. He was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

Ingrid Wicker McCree, North Carolina Central University
Ingrid Wicker McCree has an impressive and storied career as a higher education leader with more than 30 years in diverse roles. She made history on May 1, 2008, when she became the first female to hold the permanent title of director of athletics at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a title she held until stepping down in 2022. Her experiences as a college student-athlete, coach, and administrator guided her success as one of the longest-tenured athletics directors in NCCU history.

For more than 27 years, Wicker McCree served North Carolina Central University with passion, distinction and Eagle excellence.

A native of Durham, N.C., she began her career at NCCU as the head coach for women's volleyball and softball, becoming the first coach in NCCU history to win conference championships in multiple sports, capturing four total titles and being named conference coach of the year three times.

After transitioning into a role as an administrator, she helped lay the foundation for NCCU to transition to NCAA Division I before her appointment to athletics director and led the university to final NCAA Division I membership. During the transition, NCCU saw major growth in fundraising, student-athlete support services, coach and administrative staffing, facility upgrades, and increased fan and alumni engagement with the athletics program.

In 2012, Wicker McCree was inducted into the George Washington University Hall of Fame as a student-athlete. She was also inducted into the CIAA John B. McLendon Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017-18, she was recognized by NACDA as an Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY).

Wicker McCree was inducted into the NCCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022 as a head coach and in 2004 with the 1998 softball team.

As a result of her hard work and support, an endowed scholarship was established in her name at NCCU announced in 2022, the Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree Legacy Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Throughout her career, Wicker McCree served on a host of regional and national boards and committees, including the Durham Sports Commission, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, FCS Football Regional Ranking Committee, and NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee, NCAA Research Committee and the NCAA Division I Council. She was also a member of the FCS ADA Board of Directors from 2015-18.

Wicker McCree currently serves as the senior associate director for Duke Sports Sciences Institute Sports Performance program, and as a Board Member for WeCOACH, a one-of-a-kind nonprofit membership organization dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels. She also serves as a consultant with The PICTOR Group.

Wicker McCree continues to serve minority coaches and administrators through her role as Chief Operating Officer for the Advancement of Blacks in Sports, ABIS, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for racial equity, social and economic justice for Blacks in sports.

In 2022, Wicker McCree founded WM Leadership & Legacy Coaching, LLC. The organization is committed to building leaders and promoting collaborative teams that will lead to transformative organizational success.

Hotel and Convention registration for #NACDA25 is now live. Visit nacda.com/convention for more information.

About NACDA: Now in its 60th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.