ST. PAUL, Minn. – Concordia University, St. Paul has announced the promotion of Regan McAthie to serve as the next Director of Athletics, effective January 1, 2019.
 
McAthie will work closely with retiring A.D. Mark "Lunch" McKenzie, who announced his retirement from the position effective August 1, 2019. McAthie had served as Concordia's Associate Athletic Director for the previous four years, three of them alongside McKenzie.
 
"I am so excited to announce that Regan McAthie will be our next Athletic Director," said Dr. Eric LaMott, Provost and Chief Operating Officer at Concordia. "Regan has proven herself here at the campus level, the conference level and the national level with the NCAA. Whether through her experience working on the NCAA volleyball and lacrosse committees, the strategic plan for the NSIC or the fundraising here at CSP, Regan brings insight and effective execution skills. So far, Director McAthie has brought CSP women's lacrosse and just announced eSports to Concordia. Regan understands how Concordia operates in our competitive landscape and is poised to help CSP achieve its growth objectives."
 
Originally hired in 2012 as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator, McAthie was promoted to the Associate Athletic Director position in 2015 under former A.D. Tom Rubbelke. From there, McAthie was responsible for the hiring and oversight of the next Assistant A.D. for Compliance as well as a graduate assistant and the marketing internship program within the department. She gained leadership roles and sport oversight responsibility quickly, and is presently the sport administrator for volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and lacrosse.
 
"I am really excited for and proud of Regan. She has worked hard and positioned herself well to achieve this career goal," said McKenzie. "We've worked really hard to achieve a lot in a short amount of time, and I know that we couldn't have been as successful as we've been without her expertise and leadership. She has proven in her time that she has the appropriate skills, experience and leadership qualities to help Concordia continue to thrive well into the future."
 
Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, McAthie joined Concordia's staff after two years with the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), which was Concordia's former conference home before moving to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun (NSIC). At the UMAC office, McAthie (formerly Tekavec), held the league's first-ever Assistant Commissioner position, a two-year appointment made possible through the NCAA Division III Ethnic, Minority & Women's Internship grant program.
 
Her career has spanned all areas of athletic administration: fundraising, sport oversight and budgeting, internal management, compliance, Title IX, sports information, public relations, championships, game management, marketing and officiating development. She's also been a key member of various committees ranging from the Concordia campus level, to the Northern Sun (NSIC) and NCAA.
 
"I consider myself fortunate to have been able to grow and learn under excellent leadership at Concordia over the last seven years," said McAthie. "Former Athletic Director Tom Rubbelke gave me the opportunity to join the staff and empowered me to continue to increase my responsibilities during his tenure. In my time working in partnership with Mark McKenzie, I have learned what incredible things can be accomplished when you get the right pieces in place and work as a team."
 
She continued, "Finally, I'd like to thank Eric LaMott and President Ries for putting their faith in me. In my time here, I've witnessed how CSP's campus leadership team has impacted the experiences of our students through changes big and small, and I am committed to continuing to move CSP athletics forward."
 
In addition to her career development, McAthie also has the distinction of being a former student-athlete, competing for the Augustana University Viking volleyball program. She earned her degree from Augustana in business communications and sport management with a minor in journalism.
 
She was an All-NSIC Academic Team member and two year Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president at Augustana.
 
Her career also started at her alma mater as a graduate assistant in the sports information department where she would complete her master's degree in teaching with additional graduate level coursework in sport management. Towards the end of her GA position, she was elevated to an interim SID role before moving on to the next stage of her career at the UMAC.
 
"What I have always loved about working at Concordia is that I have the opportunity to watch our student-athletes develop and grow while being surrounded by a staff who shares my passion for influencing the lives of the young people here at CSP," said McAthie.
 
Other early career ventures include working for the NBA Development League's Sioux Fall Skyforce, Sioux Empire Basetball and USA Volleyball.
 
McAthie concluded, "I feel truly honored to continue to serve CSP athletics in this new capacity. I am dedicated to building upon our past successes and leading this incredible team that we've assembled into the future."
 
Regan and her husband, Tyler, reside in Hudson, Wisconsin with their two children, Palmer and Sloan.