DIVISION I-AAA ATHLETICS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION RELEASE
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – A past president of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association, University of Hartford Director of Athletics Pat Meiser was selected as the recipient of the DI-AAA 2014 Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award as announced by the organization on Thursday.
The Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual, who for a minimum of 15 years as a Director of Athletics and 20 years overall, has contributed to intercollegiate athletics in such a manner as to bring honor to themselves, their institution(s), and the profession as a whole. The award will be presented during the Division I-AAA ADA Membership Meeting at the NACDA Convention in Orlando, Fla. on Monday, June 9. It is the highest award presented by the association.
"It is especially heartwarming to be honored by your peers across the country and it is particularly gratifying to be the first female recipient of such a prestigious honor," said Meiser.
Meiser, who announced her retirement from the University of Hartford effective July 31, has spent 21 seasons at the helm of the Hartford Hawks, in which time athletics teams have won numerous America East Championships and participated in NCAA championship competition. In addition, many student-athletes have earned America East, regional, national and All-American distinction.
The hallmark of her tenure at Hartford was the completion of the Home Field Advantage Campaign which resulted in the construction of Fiondella Baseball Field, a new softball field and renovation of Al-Marzook Field at Alumni stadium with expanded seating and concession stands for lacrosse and soccer.
Meiser has fostered a culture of collegiate athletics based on excellence, integrity, and a balanced student-athlete experience. Her leadership at the University of Hartford has been marked by a commitment to NCAA rules compliance, fiscal conservatism, and increased visibility through corporate partnership, community engagement, and athletic success.
Meiser is a two-time winner (2006, 2010) of the NACDA Division I-AAA Athletics Director of the Year Award (Northeast Region) who was named one of 25 "Title IX Trailblazers" nationally by NACWAA (National Association of Women Athletic Administrators) in 2012 and a "Connecticut Woman of Merit" by Connecticut Girl Scouts in June 2002. In addition, Meiser was named a Street and Smith Top 50 Sport Business Women in America, a 2012 CWEALF (Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund) "Maria Miller Stewart Award" winner, and received the prestigious 2013 NCCJ (National Conference for Community and Justice) award. This past April, Mesier was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Prior to her arrival at Hartford, Meiser spent 11 years at the University of Connecticut where she served as the Senior Women's Administrator from 1983 to 1993. In 1990, she was appointed Interim Senior Associate Director of Athletics by President Harry Hartley. During her 11 years at UConn, she served as senior administrator aiding three different athletics directors - John Toner, Todd Turner, and Lew Perkins. The 1980s were a time of regional and national emergence for the UConn Huskies with the hiring of both Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun. Prior to UConn, Meiser led the Penn State Nittany Lions women's basketball team to a 92-55 overall record and was a finalist for the Wade Trophy Coach of the Year in 1978.
Previous Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
2013 :: Brian Quinn, Cal State Fullerton
2012 :: Dave Gavitt, Big East Conference and Providence College
2011 :: Joe Etzel, University of Portland
2010 :: Tom O'Connor, George Mason University
2009 :: Don DiJulia, Saint Joseph's University
2008 :: Mike Cusack, Wright State University
2007 :: Jim Byers, University of Evansville
2006 :: Jim Jarrett, Old Dominion University
2005 :: Gary Cunningham, University of California -Santa Barbara
Members of the Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award Committee include Division I-AAA athletics directors: Ken Kavanagh, committee chair, Florida Gulf Coast; Peg Bradley-Doppes, Denver; Bob Driscoll, Providence; Tom Hickman, Winthrop; Bill Hogan, Seattle; Ed McLaughlin, VCU; Lynn Robinson, Mount St. Mary's; Mike Roth, Gonzaga; Jim Schmidt, Illinois-Chicago; and Eric Sexton, Wichita State.
About Division I-AAA ADA: Now in its 12th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership, in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 49th year. For more information on NACDA and the 13 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
