NDA graduate Keri Luchowski makes the game her passion

NDA GRADUATE KERI LUCHOWSKI

MAKES THE GAME HER PASSION

Keri (Alexander `88) Luchowski fell in love with sports at a young age. It turned into a career as Executive Director of the NCAA’s Division III North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Now in her 24th year at the conference, Luchowski started out in Cleveland’s soccer industry.

"While I love swimming & diving while at NDA, I also played soccer and loved it. I played in college at Wheeling Jesuit, and then my first job was interning with the Cleveland Crunch, which was at that time the highest level of professional soccer in the country. There was a communications job with the NCAC, I went for it and got it. I figured I’d be there for three years. Now, 24 years later, I am privileged to serve thousands of studentathletes as the Executive Director.”

Luchowski credits much of her success both in college and professionally to her time at NDA.

“I was so well-prepared for college and that’s thanks to the teachers and Sisters at Notre Dame Academy. They pushed me to do more than I thought I could do myself. Mrs. Vinka Hartman and Miss Rhonda Rickelman were especially important to me. They saw my potential and believed in me.”

Her work as Executive Director for the conference ultimately is about delivering championship experiences for the member colleges and universities and their student-athletes. With a lean staff and responsibilities including operational, educational, and strategic objectives, she sees her role as telling the story of the student-athletes.

“I believe that athletics really compliments the academics in a college setting,” she says. “What we deliver for the 5,000+ student-athletes is part of the whole experience and not just a means to an end. Big difference from the ‘big business’ that is Division I. However, we do benefit from that financial success since our budget is a percentage of the NCAA overall. I consider our conference and Division status to be a family. You want to beat your ‘brother and sister’ schools when you are up against them, but when someone else comes in and tries to take them down, you’re all in.”

Luchowski has advice for the young men and women seeking a career in college athletics: There is a place for you.

“There are so many opportunities if you have a strong work ethic and as long as you remain curious. Whether it is communication, sales, legal, compliance, or athletic training, there are multiple doors that you can walk through and be part of college athletics. It’s a big family, and there’s no wrong way of doing it.”