Dutton Named NEAC Commissioner

LATHAM, N.Y. – Interim Commissioner Stephanie Dutton has been named the next Commissioner of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), as announced by the NEAC Presidents' Council.

Dutton joined the NEAC in January 2017 as the Assistant Commissioner for Sports Information before assuming the role of Interim Commissioner in August. Since August, she has led the efforts to add a new member to the NEAC in recently announced St. Mary's College of Maryland, coordinated a conference-wide SAAC Mental Health Awareness initiative in October and worked closely with the Board of Athletic Directors and the Presidents' Council to begin reorganizing conference operations.

"The NEAC is proud to announce that Stephanie Dutton has accepted the full-time Commissioner position beginning January 1, 2020," said Dr. Davie Gilmour, Penn College President, and NEAC Presidents' Council Chair. "In her previous roles, Stephanie has demonstrated her leadership, her commitment to our student-athletes, and her strong support of both the NEAC Presidents' Council and athletic directors. We are fully confident in her vision for the future as we strive to be a national leader in Division III athletics."

Before joining the NEAC, Dutton spent over six years at Plattsburgh State in several roles ranging from Sports Information Director to Interim Athletic Director. Outside of intercollegiate athletics, Dutton's career in athletics began with various front office roles for two Minor League Baseball teams. Dutton graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Plattsburgh State and a Master's Degree in Sport Management from SUNY Cortland.

"I want to thank the Presidents' Council and the Board of Athletic Directors for their support and the opportunity to lead the NEAC," Dutton shared. "I've had the chance in the last few months to see first-hand that the presidents and athletic directors are dedicated to building a future for the NEAC that is rooted in open communication, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to all facets of the student-athlete experience. I am honored to continue working with this group of administrators, coaches, and student-athletes."

Dutton has also been involved in numerous events at the national level, which includes serving as the Tournament Director for three NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championships. She is also an NCAA Gameday, the DIII Way facilitator, and selected for the 2018 Winter Division III and D3SIDA Recognition Award for her work on the NEAC's Gameday the DIII Way Sportsmanship video project. In October of 2018, Dutton was recognized by the Women of CoSIDA (WoSIDA) "Women to Watch" feature.

"This is an exciting time for the NEAC as we are truly beginning a new era for the conference," Dutton added. "It is our goal to rebrand our league while continuing to enhance the experiences we provide for our student-athletes. The energy of this group has been exceptional, and I'm thrilled to keep moving our work forward."

Story courtesy of NEAC website. Visit www.neacsports.com for more information.