GNAC Appoints Joni Williamson to Conference Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – Joni Williamson, Director of Athletics at Warren Wilson College and the former NCAA Assistant Director for Academic and Membership Affairs, has been appointed to the position of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Assistant to the Commissioner.

"Working with the GNAC SAAC Commissioner's Council, overseeing an initiative to recruit GNAC student-athletes to become new officials for the 22 sports the GNAC sponsors, NCAA and GNAC compliance, managing the annual GNAC Swimming and Driving Championships, and assisting with Player of the Week selections are all part of the responsibilities that Joni will be working on," said Commissioner Joe Walsh while making the announcement.

"I am very excited to serve in this role and support Commissioner Walsh and the GNAC members," said Williamson. "Thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to getting started."

Williamson holds a doctorate from East Tennessee State University in global sport leadership and a master's in recreation and sport science specializing in coaching education from Ohio University. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Evansville in education, where she was a four-year varsity swimming student-athlete. 

In addition to her time at the NCAA, Joni also was the associate athletic director/SWA at Wittenberg University, promotions director at Wright State University, and compliance coordinator at Washington State University. She has served as Warren Wilson's Director of Athletics and Adventure Sports since May 2018. 

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

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