Tuesday, November 5, 2013

PORTLAND – Gary Gray, director of athletics for the Alaska Nanooks, has been elected as the new Great Northwest Athletic Conference representative to the NCAA Division II Management Council, commissioner Dave Haglund announced last week.

Gray will begin his four-year term appointment in January, replacing Erin O’Connell, director of athletics at Seattle Pacific, who served 2009-13 as the league’s representative.

“Dr. Gray will be an excellent representative from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on the Division II Management Council,” said Haglund.  “He is a veteran administrator whose broad range of experiences in  the GNAC and the NCAA will serve both the conference and the division extremely well over his four-year term.”

“To be able to represent our conference, the 10 schools and soon to be 11, is exciting and an honor,” Gray said. “I want to make sure I represent our conference well and express the things that are relevant to our conference and within the West region in terms of legislation and membership in the NCAA.”

As the GNAC liaison for the Management Council, Gray will meet with other Division II officials throughout the year to discuss NCAA legislation and related business. One will occur at the NCAA Convention while three other meetings will take place at the NCAA offices in Indianapolis.

The Management Council is made up of one administrator from each of the Division II multisport voting conferences, one administrator of Division II independent institutions and two ‘at-large positions. The committee must include at lead four athletic directors, at least four senior woman administrators, at least four faculty athletic representatives and at least one conference commissioner.

The group will be responsible and tasked to implement policies adopted by the Association’s Executive Committee and the Presidents Council, make recommendations to the Presidents Council on matters it deems appropriate, recommend the adoption of noncontroversial and intent-based amendments, administrative bylaws and regulations to govern Division II, subject to ratification by the Presidents council, take final action on matters delegated from the Presidents Council, as well as work with Division II business in regards to structure, membership, etc.

Gray may also have an opportunity to serve on a select committee as a member of the Management Council. O’Connell also served on the Membership Committee in addition to her duties as the league liaison on the council.

“It’s not so much what I want to get out of this but what I want to give,” Gray said. “I want to give my time and energy and share my experience from almost 20 years as an athletic director and previously as a coach and faculty member. I want to help provide a voice to represent our conference with Division II business.”