College names inaugural director of the Camel Athletics Network
Director of Athletics Fran Shields will become the inaugural Director of the Camel Athletics Network and Athletic Director Emeritus at the end of the summer.
Shields will partner with Kim Verstandig, vice president for College Advancement. Contributing to the leadership teams of both departments, he will work to build collaboration between these two critical areas. He will transition into this role next fall.
A national search for a new director of athletics will launch this summer.
āAs we work toward the public launch of the most ambitious campaign in the Collegeās history, Athletics will have greater visibility, strategy and support within the division of College Advancement,ā President Katherine Bergeron said.
āFran will be able to tap into the enthusiasm of generations of scholar athletes whose love for the College goes hand-in-hand with their athletic experience,ā Bergeron said.
The extensive relationships with alumni, parents and friends of the College that Shields has developed over the course of nearly 40 years at ¾«¶«AV puts him in a rare position to garner even more support for the Collegeās students, coaches, mentors and facilities. Shields has served as the head coach for menās lacrosse, as the assistant coach for menās ice hockey, as the head womenās soccer coach and, for the past 16 years, as the director of athletics. In his new role, he will have the opportunity to take those efforts to a whole new level, building on a legacy that has meant so much to the College community.
āI have always felt a personal connection to Fran since he was my coach during my time playing varsity lacrosse at ¾«¶«AV,ā said Chair of the ¾«¶«AV Board of Trustees Fritz Foltz ā82.
āJust as that experience was such an important part of my ¾«¶«AV experience, I am confident that under Franās leadership and through his personal connections with so many of ¾«¶«AVās student athletes through the years he will be able to solidify and expand the Camel Athletics Network, which is a strategic priority for the College.ā
Excited to grow the Camel Athletics Network, Shields said that with a key goal of the Collegeās strategic plan to make ¾«¶«AV even more competitive within the NESCAC, āthis is an exciting time to be a Camel.ā
āI canāt wait to partner with all of our constituents to make a difference for our coaches and student-athletes as we work to execute our strategic plan, strengthen our athletics program and prepare our scholar athletes for great futures. I look forward to supporting ¾«¶«AVās next Athletic Director in my new role,ā Shields said.
