Batavia, NY - Genesee Community College is thrilled to announce that Kristen Schuth has been named National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY). The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Kristen, who serves as the Administrator in Charge for Student and Enrollment Services and Director of Athletics at GCC, has been recognized for her commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, GCC and the surrounding communities. Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 59th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, June 11.
Kristen was appointed as GCC’s Director of Athletics in 2013. Under her leadership, the college has achieved incredible success, capturing many regional & conference titles and two national championships. The athletic department has produced numerous All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and placed in the Daktronics Cup for the first time ever in school history, a testament to Schuth's dedication to both athletics and academics.
Beyond her contributions to GCC, Kristen is involved at the regional and national levels, serving as the NJCAA Region 3 Women's Director, Region 3 Board of Regents Representative and Board of Regents Secretary. She is the NATYCAA secretary and executive committee member, and chairs several NJCAA Division III committees, including the D3 Oversight Committee, putting her at the forefront of decision-making processes that influence the direction of D3 athletics. She also played a crucial role in hosting several regional and national championship events at GCC. Schuth is a two-time recipient of the Region 3 Athletic Director of the Year award and was previously named the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year in 2021. In 2023, Kristen was the recipient of the prestigious NJCAA George Killian Award of Excellence for her outstanding commitment to voluntarism, service, leadership and excellence.
“Receiving the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year award is a tremendous honor, not just for me personally, but for the entire Genesee Community College family. This recognition underscores our collective commitment to excellence in both athletics and academics, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of our student-athletes and our institution. I am truly humbled and excited to continue supporting our athletes as we strive for even greater achievements in the future,” said Schuth.
The ADOY Award program is in its 26th year and has recognized a total of 584 deserving athletics directors to date.
All NACDA-member directors of athletics in the United States, Canada and Mexico who met the criteria were eligible for the award. Among the criteria were service as an AD for a minimum of five academic years; demonstration of commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments. Additionally, each AD's institution must have passed a compliance check through its appropriate governing body (i.e., NCAA, NAIA, etc.), in which the institution could not have been on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control during the tenure of the current athletics director.
Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners, as well as other respected intercollegiate athletics administrators. Special Divisional Selection Committees composed of current and former directors of athletics, current and former commissioners and other key athletics administrators voted on nominees for the award. Additional history surrounding the ADOY award, including a list of past winners, can be found here.
For more information contact Vice President, Development and External Affairs Justin Johnston at (585) 345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.
