WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed was elected president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) for the 2018-19 term, the association announced Wednesday. The passing of the gavel took place in conjunction with the 53rd Annual NACDA Convention at the National Harbor just outside of Washington, D.C.  Reed holds the honor of being the first former NACDA intern to be elected president by the membership.
 
"This is truly an honor to have come full circle and serve as NACDA's president," Reed said. "To think that 24 years ago I made a career decision to make a move and take on an internship at NACDA – it has been an amazing journey for me. This association provides us as administrators with the opportunity to learn from our peers, network and develop friendships. I am thankful to the leadership at NACDA's National Office, and I look forward to working closely with my fellow officers and executive committee members this year."
 
Reed has been among the national leaders in Division I athletics.  This past year, he served as NACDA's 2nd vice president as well as being the chair of the John McLendon Foundation Board.  Additionally, he is the chair of the BIG EAST Men's Basketball Issues Working Group. Reed also serves as a mentor in the NCAA Pathways program and is on the advisory board for the LGBTQ Center at Georgetown.  He is a frequent guest speaker at the NCAA, NACDA and other national programs.
 
"Lee has served our University community — and our students engaged in intercollegiate athletics — with distinction for eight years," said Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia.  "I can think of no one more capable to lead NACDA during this very important moment for intercollegiate athletics in our country."
 
Under his leadership, the Hoyas have remained prominent on the national landscape while maintaining their commitment to the values that define the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the country. In the classroom, Hoya student-athletes continue to excel, posting cumulative GPAs consistently over 3.2, the highest mark since that figure has been tracked. In addition, 15 teams were recognized by the NCAA for high Academic Progress Rate scores, 94 percent of student-athletes graduated and more than 300 student-athletes were selected to the BIG EAST All-Academic squad, the most in the league.
 
Reed was instrumental in the smooth transition to the new BIG EAST Conference in 2013, which welcomed three new institutions. In 2015, he negotiated a lucrative 10-year multi-media rights deal with FOX Sports on behalf of Georgetown Athletics, joining an exclusive list of institutions to partner with FOX Sports in this national trend. Additionally, in 2016, he oversaw the opening of the first varsity athletics facility on the Hilltop since 1951. The Thompson Center is a 144,000-square-foot state-of-the-art training facility that has elevated the infrastructure available to Georgetown's student-athletes.
 
Throughout Reed's tenure, Georgetown athletics has continued to be a national and conference powerhouse, claiming individual and team titles in men's and women's cross country and track & field, sailing, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's rowing, and men's basketball. In all, Georgetown's student-athletes have captured 24 conference tournament and regular season championships.
 
In addition, each summer Reed returns to the classroom to co-teach a graduate level leadership class in the sports industry management program in Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies.
 
Before coming to the Hilltop, Reed served as the director of athletics at Cleveland State University for eight years.  He was also at Eastern Michigan University for seven seasons prior to his return to CSU.  He received his master in sports administration from the University of New Mexico, where he also served as an assistant men's basketball coach.
 
A former basketball standout at Cleveland State, he joined the Vikings Athletics Department in the summer of 2002. During his time at CSU, the athletics program moved into the upper ranks of the Horizon League and was recognized as one of the top programs in the state of Ohio. While there, he served as president of the NCAA I-AAA Athletic Director's Association, served on the NCAA Management Council and the NCAA Men's Basketball Academic Enhancement Group.
 
In 2005, Reed was recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful African-Americans in Sports by Black Enterprise magazine.  Reed began his career in athletics administration as a NACDA intern from February 1994 to April 1995.
 
NACDA serves as the professional association for those in the field of athletics administration, providing educational opportunities and serves as a vehicle for networking and the exchange of information to others in the profession.  The largest association of collegiate athletics administrators, NACDA boasts a membership of more than 15,700 individuals and more than 1,700 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Members include athletics directors, associate and assistant athletics directors, conference commissioners and affiliate individuals or corporations.