BRUNK ACCEPTS OFFER TO BECOME NEW COMMISSIONER AT PEACH BELT

For Immediate Release

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South Easton, Mass. – Dr. George Hagerty, Chair of the Northeast-10 Council of President’s announced earlier this week that Dave Brunk has accepted an offer to become the next commissioner of the Peach Belt Conference in Augusta, Ga. effective July 1. Brunk will replace Marvin Vanover, the first-ever commissioner of the Peach Belt, who will retire from the position on June 30.

Brunk has served as commissioner of the Northeast-10 Conference for the past nine years and under his tenure has seen the conference grow to 15 institutions, expand the number of championship sports offered to 23, which is currently the most offered by any NCAA Division II conference, initiated an aggressive corporate partner program, added a variety of programs designed to gain national exposure and lead the conference to the upper echelon of NCAA Division II.

“David Brunk developed the Northeast-10 into the most respected and competitive Division II conference in the country,” said Director of Athletics of Stonehill College Paula Sullivan. “This is a tremendous loss for all of us associated with the Northeast-10, but a wonderful opportunity for Dave. I personally would like to thank him for his service and I wish Dave and his family the very best.”

In 1998 Brunk become the fourth commissioner in Northeast-10 history and wasted no time in putting the Northeast-10 on the map. Fourteen months after becoming commissioner, the conference expanded by adding five new institutions beginning in the 2000-01 academic year. The expansion made the Northeast-10 the second largest conference in NCAA Division II.

“David Brunk has served for the past nine years as an exceptional commissioner of the Northeast-10 Athletic Conference,” said Dr. Hagerty. “ David worked tirelessly to create a conference which prospered both academically and on the field. He has led the Northeast-10 through important transitions including expansion and cutting edge use of media and technology. His selection as Chairman of the NCAA Management Council for Division II is testament to the high regard in which he is held. Certainly the Northeast-10’s loss is the Peach Belt’s significant gain.”

Not only has Brunk helped the Northeast-10 expand by the number of its members, but by the number of championship sports offered. Since his first year as commissioner, the Northeast-10 added men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, football, men’s and women’s swimming & diving and ice hockey to its list of championship sports.

The Northeast-10 has grown a lot on the playing field under Brunk, but it has also grown in the classroom as well. The Northeast-10 has continued to receive national recognition for academic achievement and graduation rate as it continues to be one of the top NCAA Division II conferences.

Brunk currently serves on several NCAA committees, including the Division II Management Council (Chair), the Division II Membership Committee, the Division II Convention Planning Project Team, the Division II Community Advisory Group, the Division II Media Advisory Group and the Division II Identity Subcommittee.

“I want to thank the presidents and athletic directors for the opportunity to lead the Northeast-10 Conference for the past nine years,” said Brunk. “It has been a wonderful opportunity and we accomplished a tremendous amount of good things during that time. I will be forever grateful to my staff, past and present, and thank them for their hard work and dedication. They too played a big part in our success over the years. I will miss the administrators, coaches and most importantly the outstanding student-athletes and know they will continue their excellence both in the classroom and on the field of play.”

The Northeast-10 is one of the largest and is the most diverse NCAA Division II playing conference in the nation. It sponsors 23 championship sports including baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, field hockey, men’s golf, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s indoor track and field, women’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, softball, women’s volleyball, men’s swimming and diving, and women’s swimming and diving

Full Members of the Northeast-10 include American International College, Assumption College, Bentley College, Bryant University, Franklin Pierce, Le Moyne College, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Merrimack College, Pace University, Saint Anselm College, Saint Michael’s College, The College of Saint Rose, Southern Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Stonehill College.


TRANSACTIONS – Peach Belt Conference Named David R. Brunk, Commissioner