Fort Lewis College President Dene Kay Thomas has been elected chairwoman of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference President’s Council.
The council leader is chosen from among the presidents of the 15 RMAC institutions.
The RMAC oversees the Division II athletic programs for all of its members, including Fort Lewis College. In the last two decades, RMAC schools have won more than 50 Division II national championships, including three for the FLC men’s soccer team. The election occurred in April.
As chairwoman, Thomas will run meetings of the President’s Council and the six-member executive committee.
“It’s a chance to have an influence, and it’s a commitment to being active in the whole athletic arena,” she said.
The RMAC is in transition, with Western New Mexico University leaving for the Lone Star Conference and incoming member Westminster College from Salt Lake City with its RMAC membership pending. Westminster’s addition would still leave the RMAC with 15 members, an awkward number.
“An even number – 14 or 16 – makes scheduling easier,” Thomas said.
The RMAC has member institutions in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota and Nebraska.
More broadly, the NCAA’s amateurism model has come under increasing scrutiny from media critics and courts. In March, the RMAC President’s Council sent a letter to President Barack Obama that urged “broad inclusion” in discussions regarding concussions and student health.
Thomas succeeds Metropolitan State University of Denver President Stephen Jordan as the head of the President’s Council.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
