Karl Benson Commissioner
E-Mail | (303) 792-3199 |
| Karl Benson became the WAC's fifth commissioner on April 20, 1994. Nationally, Benson has earned the respect of his peers after serving on the NCAA Management Council from 1999-2002, and just completing a five-year term on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee. Benson came to the WAC after four successful years as the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference. Prior to taking the reins of the MAC, Benson served on the NCAA staff for more than four years where he was the director of NCAA championships when selected as MAC commissioner. Benson joined the NCAA staff in January, 1986, as a compliance representative and was appointed assistant director of championships in June, 1987. He was promoted to director of championships in 1988. A native of the state of Washington, Benson graduated from high school in Pullman in 1970, attended Spokane Falls Community College and then received a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Boise State University in 1975. He has also completed course work toward his master’s degree in athletics administration at the University of Utah. Benson played baseball at both Spokane Falls Community College and Boise State University before serving as the baseball coach at Fort Steilacoom Community College in Tacoma, Wash., for eight years and as the director of athletics at Fort Steilacoom from 1979-84. From 1984-86, he was an assistant baseball coach and an administrative assistant in the athletics department at Utah. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Boise State in April of 2006. Benson has one daughter, Jessie. |
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Jeff Hurd Senior Associate Commissioner
E-Mail | (303) 962-4216 |
| Jeff Hurd joined the WAC staff in 1985, and serves as senior associate commissioner for external affairs. He oversees the conference's communications and television operation, is responsible for team sport scheduling and aids in the administration of men's team sports. Previously, he was the Director of Public Relations for the Missouri Valley Conference for seven years and the Sports Information Director at Tulsa for three years. Hurd is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He and his wife, Cheri, are the parents of four children (Shannon, Michael, Kristen and Kevin) and reside in Littleton. |
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Darlene Bailey Associate Commissioner/SWA
E-Mail | (303) 962-4205 |
| Darlene Bailey joined the WAC staff in October of 2006 and serves as associate commissioner and senior woman administrator. She manages the NCAA governance process for the WAC’s nine member institutions and with the implementation of the recently adopted conference strategic plan. She is also the primary liaison to the WAC’s women’s basketball coaches and volleyball coaches and plays an active role in the overall administration of the two sports including officiating, regular season scheduling, championships, marketing and promotions. Previously, Bailey was the Associate Director of Athletics at Missouri State. Bailey received a Master’s degree in Sports Administration and a Doctorate degree 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 has a son, Luke. |
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Anthony Archbald Assistant Commissioner/Compliance
E-Mail | (303) 962-4211 |
| Anthony Archbald joined the WAC staff in 2005 as Assistant Commissioner in charge of compliance services which includes interpretation of the NCAA and WAC legislation, NCAA and WAC governance, legislative and enforcement issues. Archbald also serves as the staff liaison to the WAC Faculty Athletics Representatives Group and to the WAC SAAC. Before joining the WAC, Archbald served as the Assistant Director for Compliance at the Mountain West Conference. He has a Bachelor's degree from Boston College and earned his J.D. degree in sports Law from Tulane. |
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David Chaffin Assistant Commisioner/Communications & Technology
E-Mail | (303) 962-4212 |
| Dave Chaffin joined the WAC staff in 1995 and was promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations in 1999. His responsibilities include media relations, media guide production and web site design. He previously was the Athletic Media Relations Assistant Director at Colorado State University from 1992-95. Chaffin graduated from the University of Michigan in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. He has completed his course work for a Master's degree in Technical Journalism at Colorado State University. He and his wife, Michelle, are the parents of a son, Tyler, and daughter, Jamie. They reside in Centennial. |
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Vicky Foster Director of Graphic Design & Publications
E-Mail | (303) 962-4207 |
| Vicky Foster came to the WAC in December, 2006, after working the last couple of years in the Visual Communications Department at R+L Carriers in Ohio. Previously, she spent several years in the Communications and Marketing Department at Ohio University where she also assisted in television production of several sporting events. Foster is a graduate of Ohio University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Communications and a Master of Arts in Telecommunications. |
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Kara Irving Director of Media Relations
E-Mail | (303) 962-4213 |
| Kara Irving joined the WAC in 2001 and serves as the Director of Media Relations. Her sport responsibilities include volleyball, women's basketball and softball. She also assists in media guide production and web site maintenance. Irving came from the University of South Carolina where she was an assistant sports information director from 1998-2001. Irving graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's degree in English. Irving resides in Parker. |
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Elizabeth Kampfe Director of Championships
E-Mail | (303) 962-4214 |
| Elizabeth Kampfe joined the WAC staff in January of 2007 and is the WAC's Director of Championships. Kampfe came from the University of Kentucky where she was the assistant event manager in the athletics department. Kampfe earned her Bachelor of Arts in sports management and communications at the University of Michigan where she was a three-time All-American track and cross country runner and an academic All-American. She added a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois. |
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Mollie Lehman Director of Business and Operations
E-Mail | (303) 962-4215 |
| Mollie Lehman joing the WAC staff in August of 2007 and is the WAC's Director of Business and Operations. Lehman previously spent two years with the America East Conference where she served as the business manager and assisted with sport administration and championships. Prior to that, Lehman was an assistant softball coach at Binghamton University and became involved with event management. She is a 2000 graduate from Binghamton and earned her MBA at the University of Colorado at Denver in 2007. |
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Jason Erickson Associate Director of Media Relations
E-Mail | (303) 962-4206 |
| Jason Erickson joined the WAC staff in Septebmer, 2007, and will handle media relations duties for the WAC in women’s basketball, baseball, gymnastics and cross country. He previously spent four years at Idaho State University and has also worked in television and in the newspaper business. He is a 2002 graduate of Southern Utah University and earned his master’s degree at Idaho State in 2006. He and his wife, Marisa, live in Parker, Colo. |
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Kathy Schild Senior Executive
E-Mail | (303) 962-4208 |
| Kathy Schild joined the WAC staff in 1985, and serves as the Senior Executive Assistant to the Commissioner. Schild also serves as the office manager for the conference office. A native of Cortez, Colo, she and her husband, Jake, reside in Morrison, Colo. They have two children, Mark and Matt. |
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Jim Blackwood Supervisor of WAC Football Officials
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| Jim Blackwood joined the WAC staff in the spring of 1999 and serves as the Supervisor of Football Officials. Previously, he was the Southland Conference's Supervisor from 1989-98 and is currently serving as chairman of the CCA Supervisors. |
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Bobby Dibler Supervisor of Men's Basketball Officials
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| Bobby Dibler rejoins the WAC after working for the conference from 1993-98. Since 1998, Dibler has been the coordinator of officials for the Mountain West Conference. Prior to his duties of coordinating officials, he was a WAC basketball official for 20 years. Dibler also officiated in the Southwest Conference (1973-93), Big West Conference (1982-93), Pac-10 Conference (1982-86, 1988-93), Big Eight Conference (1981-82), and the Missouri Valley Conference (1973-82). During his 20 years as an official, he officiated three NCAA Final Fours and a total of 14 NCAA Tournaments advancing to the Regionals 12 times. |
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Kaye Garms Supervisor of Women's Basketball Officials
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| Kaye Garms enters her 16th year as the Supervisor of Women's Basketball Officials for the WAC. Garms graduated from Wayland Baptist University and played for a team which won three consecutive AAU National Women's Basketball titles. She was a two-time AAU All-American in 1957 and 1958 and was a starter on the first United States women's basketball team that competed in Russia in 1958. |
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Dan Keohane Supervisor of Soccer Officials
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Dave Neidlinger Supervisor of Softball Umpires
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Dan Pedersen Supervisor of Baseball Umpires
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| Dan Pedersen is in his 11th year as the WACs Supervisor of Umpires. As an umpire, Pedersen has worked five College World Series, the 1991 Pan Am Games in Cuba and three years in professional baseball. He has been involved with the WAC since 1982. Pedersen and his wife, Melissa, are the parents of two children, Brady and Alyssa, and reside in San Diego, Calif. |
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Alan Suzuki Supervisor of WAC Volleyball Officials
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| Alan Suzuki joined the WAC staff in the spring of 1999 and serves as the Supervisor of Volleyball Officials. Previously, he served as the Colorado Athletic Conference Supervisor of Officials from 1991-95 and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Supervisor of Officials |