BOSTON – After leading the America East Conference to new heights as its commissioner for nearly 10 years, Amy Huchthausen announced today that she will step down from her position to pursue a new challenge outside of athletics. Huchthausen, just the fourth commissioner in the conference’s 40-plus year history and the only woman to hold the position, will become the Chief Impact and Culture Officer at Stavvy, a FinTech startup based in Boston.
“On behalf of the America East Board of Presidents, we thank Amy for her extraordinary leadership of the conference these past 10 years and wish her well in her new endeavor,” said UAlbany President and America East Board of Presidents Chair, Havidán Rodríguez. “Under her steady leadership, America East has grown into one of the most respected conferences in the country, one whose membership is unified in its commitment to the complete student-athlete experience and the pursuit of athletics success as evidenced through multiple individual national champions and final four appearances by teams in several sports as well as the greatest upset in men’s college basketball history.”
“The conference’s position and reputation as a leader in technology, diversity and inclusion, and mental health within college athletics are all a testament to her steady hand and collaborative work with our institutions,” continued Rodríguez. “Her impact has the conference well-positioned moving forward for further growth and we look forward to our exciting future.”
Huchthausen will work with membership, led by the Board of Presidents, on her departure timeline and the transition process in the weeks ahead. Further details on the search for her successor will come at a later date.
“It has been an absolute privilege to serve the America East for the last 10 years,” started Huchthausen. “I have been incredibly blessed to work alongside an exceptional group of presidents, athletics directors and administrators, whose institutions cohesively believe in the value of college sports and how athletics can transform the lives of student-athletes. I have also been extremely fortunate to work with an incredibly talented conference office staff, who are the reason we operate and deliver services at such a high level to our members.”
“I have appreciated the collaboration and focus on successfully growing the conference’s position through several key technology partnerships and other creative new initiatives that continue to differentiate the America East from its peers,” she continued. “I am particularly proud to have worked with institutions that champion diversity, equity and inclusion as evidenced by our leadership position with the longstanding Spread Respect campaign and its renewed focus on social justice.”
A progressive leader who joined America East in October, 2011, Huchthausen made an undeniable impact on America East during her time as commissioner through a forward-thinking approach to the student-athlete experience, by growing the league’s identity through digital media and technology and stabilizing its membership. Under her leadership, the conference established the #3Pillars platform that drives the conference’s strategy and growth. The conference secured a long-term agreement with ESPN for the majority of its live content under Huchthausen while also launching the conference’s digital network. Additionally, the league has been a leader among its peers in establishing several digital and social media partnerships with emerging technologies, while strengthening and expanding the America East brand through the generation of original content distributed via multiple channels.
Huchthausen also fortified conference membership during her tenure, which coincided with a tumultuous landscape nationwide. The additions of UMass Lowell and NJIT, both whose institutional profiles, core values and geography were ideal fits, strengthened the conference in all facets. The membership additions were the conference’s first in over a decade.
In her aim to truly focus on the complete student-athlete experience, Huchthausen helped the league become a leader in initiatives that benefit student-athletes off the field. She helped launch new programs such as the league’s emerging esports initiative, Alumni Network, Academic Consortium and the conference’s Health & Safety initiative with a focus on mental health. Most notably, the league has become a leader in diversity, inclusion and social justice.
"Throughout her time leading the America East, Amy has been a transformational leader and steadfast champion for student-athletes.” said Stony Brook Director of Athletics and America East Administration Group Chair, Shawn Heilbron. “She has opened doors of opportunity and broken down barriers at every turn. Our league has adapted and evolved to the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics, and Amy has always been at the forefront. She is not only a respected colleague but a trusted friend who will be sorely missed as she takes this next step in her professional journey."
“America East consists of an exceptional group of institutions who are poised to seize the opportunities that lie ahead by relying on its strength as a league consisting of premier public research institutions that are committed to a broad-based Division I athletics portfolio,” concluded Huchthausen. “It’s an exciting opportunity for the conference to write the next chapter in its history and I firmly believe its best days are yet to come.”
The America East is a premier NCAA Division I athletic conference whose mission centers around its commitment to building the complete student-athlete through its #3Pillars: Academic Achievement, Athletic Excellence and Leadership, On and Off the Field. Academically, America East student-athletes have collectively averaged over a 3.0 grade-point average for 16 straight years and boast several Academic All-Americans and NCAA Elite 90 winners. Athletically, the league’s success has been highlighted by the greatest upset in NCAA men’s basketball tournament history (UMBC, 2018), individual national champions in track & field and deep NCAA championship runs, including final four berths in field hockey (UAlbany, 2014), men’s soccer (UMBC, 2014) and men’s lacrosse (UAlbany, 2018) as well as a College World Series appearance (Stony Brook, 2012). In the leadership area, America East is unrivaled, serving as trailblazers in the areas of diversity and inclusion by way of its #SpreadRespect initiative and in prioritizing mental health through its #BetterTogether campaign.
The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field. One of the most comprehensive Division I conferences in the country and progressive in its approach to its more than 3,400 student-athletes, America East recognizes champions in each of its 18 sports. Based centrally within the geographic footprint of its member institutions with the conference office located in Boston, America East consists of 10 member institutions spanning from the Mid-Atlantic to Northeast regions of the United States including: University at Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, UMBC, UMass Lowell, University of New Hampshire, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com or follow the America East Conference on Twitter @AmericaEast.
- #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete -