Dr. Lee A. McElroy, Jr., Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University at Albany, has been named president of the America East Conference Executive Committee for the 2003-04 academic year. McElroy, who served as Vice President during 2002-03, replaces Gary Strickler, Athletic Director at Boston University, whose term as president ended at the conclusion of the conference’s annual meeting in Burlington, Vt. July 1-3. The executive committee also announced that Martin Scarano, Director of Athletics at University of New Hampshire, has been chosen as the member at large to the committee.
The five-member executive committee also includes Dr. Joel Thirer, Director of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics at Binghamton University and Vice President of the committee, Strickler, as past president, and Dr. Richard Hall, the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative at Albany.
The America East Executive Committee has the supervision and responsibility of all affairs of the conference not handled by the full board of directors and oversees most business operations, including the annual audit. It also serves as an advisory board to the commissioner.
McElroy, as president, will be the Executive Officer of America East. He will preside over all conference meetings and have the authority, upon formal action by the board of directors, to execute any and all legal instruments given on behalf of the conference. He has the power to call meetings of the board of directors and will make a full and complete report of the work of the conference and the actions of the board of directors at the annual meeting of the conference.
McElroy, who has more than 30 years of experience in athletic and educational administrations, began his fourth year as Albany’s Director of Athletics and Recreation on July 6. He was previously the Director of Athletics at American University for four years. McElroy has gained national prominence for his roles with numerous professional organizations and NCAA Committees. He is currently serving a three-year term on the Division I Management Council as one of four at-large representatives from Division I-AA or I-AAA. The 49-member council adopts operating bylaws and rules to govern Division I and develops and manages the Division I budget.
"I am excited about this opportunity to serve as the President of America East,” said McElroy. “With the recent conference championship expansion and the addition of UMBC to the membership it is an exciting time for the conference. The future of America East, plus the many challenges we face on the field and in the classroom will continue to be discussed. I know the administrators, coaches and student-athletes at all 10 America East schools will be up to the task ahead."
Thirer, who has served at Binghamton since 1989, will perform the duties of president in the absence of McElroy or in the event of his inability or refusal to act. Thirer also holds an adjunct appointment as a professor in the Psychology Department at Binghamton.
Scarano, who was elected by a vote of the 2002-03 executive committee, begins his fourth year as Director of Athletics at New Hampshire on July 17. He previously was Director of Athletics at Colorado College from 1996-2000.
Strickler has served as Athletic Director at Boston University since 1989 and began his tenure at Boston University in the School of Management in 1969.
Hall, a Distinguished Service Professor in Albany’s Sociology Department, is in the second year of a two-year term as the Faculty Athletics Representative to the committee.
America East will consist of 10 institutions in 2003-04: Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); New Hampshire, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. Quinnipiac University is an associate member in men’s lacrosse.