DENVER ? Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson today announced the appointment of Dr. Darlene Bailey as Associate Commissioner. Bailey joins the WAC staff after serving as Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Missouri State since 1998.
“The WAC member institutions are very fortunate to have Darlene join the conference office staff,” said Benson. “She brings a wealth of experience and expertise and is clearly one of the country’s most accomplished athletics administrators. She has proven herself throughout the NCAA as being an advocate for student-athletes ? both women and men. She will provide the WAC with great leadership and will take on a very important role, both on a regional and national basis as the WAC continues to grow as one of the country’s premier athletic conferences.”
Bailey will manage the NCAA governance process for the WAC’s nine member institutions and will work directly with the WAC presidents/chancellors, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty representatives with implementation of the recently adopted conference strategic plan. She will also be the primary liaison to the WAC’s women’s basketball coaches and volleyball coaches and will play an active role in the overall administration of the two sports including officiating, regular season scheduling, championships, marketing and promotions. She will also work closely with the WAC’s senior woman administrator group to bring greater national exposure for all women’s sports that are under the WAC umbrella.
Bailey is currently on several NCAA committees and task forces including the Committee on Women’s Athletics (Chair), the Division I Women’s Basketball Discussion Group, the Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee and the Life and Work Balance Task Force.
Bailey was recently named the 2006 Division I-AA National Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA). The award is given to an individual NACWAA believes has made a significant contribution to intercollegiate athletics.
Prior to her tenure at Missouri State, Bailey held various positions at Wichita State University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington University, University of South Alabama, Ohio University and Chaminade University. She received a Master’s degree in Sports Administration and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, both from Ohio University. She attended William Jewell College in Kansas City, Missouri and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. Bailey is a native of the state of Missouri and has a three-year-old son, Luke.