ILLINOIS STATE Softball LLARRY LYONS
Athletic Administration
EExecutive Associate Athletics Director Larry Lyons, C.P.A., is in his 23rd year at Illinois S State. He oversees business operations, facility operations and the Weibring Golf Club, supervises o athletic training, athletic equipment and strength a and conditioning, and provides administrative a leadership l d hi for f men’s ’ and d women’s golf and baseball. In addition, Lyons also assists ISU Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger in the administration of both Redbird men’s basketball and football. Last year, Lyons managed the conceptual, design and construction stages of the Illinois State Baseball Stadium at Duffy Bass Field. The Illinois State alumnus, who also has a degree from Illinois, serves as the athletics department’s liaison to the university for human resources, administrative and fee-related projects. In addition, he is a campus representative on the Illinois State Foundation Board of Directors. Lyons and his wife, Maureen, have two children: Matt and Kristin.
LLEANNA BORDNER SSr. Associate Athletics Director/SWA
Leanna Bordner is in her 17th year on the IlIllinois State staff. She became the event manager in 1993, and then became marketing director two yyears later. She was promoted to assistant athletics director in 1997 and Senior Women’s Administrator d in 2002. Under Bordner’s direction, ISU’s marketing division experienced significant growth, as did the department’s sales revenues. In her current position, Bordner directly supervises twelve sports and handles day-to-day operations for two others. In addition, she serves as the department liaison to the Missouri Valley Conference office; is a member of the MVC Officiating, Marketing and Conference Relations Committee and chairs the MVC Women’s Basketball Marketing Committee. Bordner serves on the Preview Committee, Athletic Council Gender Equity Committee and Homecoming Steering Committee, while chairing the Internal Homecoming Committee. In the community, Bordner serves on the Red Cross Board; the McLean County Chamber Board and the Chamber Government Affairs Committee; the BNACVB Sports Commission Board; is the chair of the Red Cross Evening of Stars Program Committee; and belongs to the Bloomington Kiwanis and is the Food Chair of the Camp Limberlost Committee. Previously, Bordner spent eight seasons as an assistant basketball coach at Michigan State, part of a 16-year coaching career. Bordner received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State in 1977 and a master’s degree from Indiana in 1979. While at MSU, she lettered in field hockey, basketball and softball.
A AARON LEETCH
SSr. Associate Athletics Director/External Affairs Aaron Leetch arrived at Illinois State in 2005 as a successful athletics fundraiser, and during his time, T TRC has had a 65-percent growth in membership a and raised nearly $675,000 in new annual revenue. In addition to spearheading Illinois State’s development efforts efforts, Leet Leetch oversees marketing, corporate sponsorships and ticketing. Total revenue from these combined units has increased by 143 percent during Leetch’s tenure. The Texas native began his career in the respected Baylor Athletics Development program, registering huge increases in memberships and revenues for annual giving. At Arkansas State from 2003-05, he helped recruit and train more than 75 volunteers from around the state, which led to an 83-percent growth in membership and a 40-percent growth of total fund-raising revenues.
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The 1999 graduate of Tennessee Temple earned his master’s degree in sport management from Baylor in 2001. He and his wife, Lindsay, have a daughter, Avery, and reside in Normal, Ill.
JJANE FULTON
Associate Athletics Director/Academics & Life Skills A Since 1992, Jane Fulton has helped academic s support services produce a graduation rate for sstudent-athletes of more than 80 percent. During her tenure, 19 Redbird student-athletes have earned Bone Scholarships, the highest h academic honor on campus, and 26 different a student-athletes have received academic All-America honors. She also supervises the Life Skills program and is the department’s liaison to the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. The former assistant softball coach at Illinois State has a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois and a master’s degree from Eastern Illinois. She and her husband, Steve, live in Carlock, Ill.
CCINDY HARRIS
Associate Athletics Director/Compliance A Former Redbird volleyball star Cindy Harris is in her 11th year at her alma mater as associate athletics director for compliance. a Harris oversees all aspects of the athletics department’s compliance efforts, including review d of all eligibility and fifinanc nancial aid matters for 19 sports and approximately 400 student-athletes. In addition, she is responsible for the data collection and submission of Illinois State’s NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR) reports. She formerly served as a liaison to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, and served a four-year stint on the NCAA Division I Satisfactory-Progress Waivers Committee. Before returning to ISU, Harris was an associate commissioner for the Mid-Continent Conference, where, in addition to compliance, she coordinated the league’s championship program. A successful college volleyball coach, Harris served as an assistant at both Utah and Penn State before moving on to the head coaching position at Valparaiso, where she was named the Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year in 1991. Harris is a 1984 graduate of Illinois State and received her master’s degree from Utah. A native of Buffalo, Ill., Harris has a son, Neil.
DOUG BANKS D
Associate Athletics Director/Development A Doug Banks enters his fifth year at Illinois S State. Banks oversees annual giving, through The R Redbird Club, as well as other daily functions in the d development office. The Redbird Club has seen a 6 65-percent growth in membership and a 60-percent increase in revenue generated since 2005. Before arriving at Illinois State, Banks served as the assistant director of development at Kansas State Athletics from 1999-2004. At K-State, membership numbers and total fund-raising revenues to the Ahearn Scholarship Fund increased by over 60 percent. The native of Imperial, Neb., Banks graduated from Nebraska-Kearney in 1990, and was a member of the Loper football team. Banks returned to his alma mater and earned his master’s degree from UNK in the fall of 1999, and served as a graduate assistant on the UNK football staff.
2010 Redbird Softball Media Guide