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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE’s incoming VP and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald receives Division I-AAA Lifetime Achievement Award

Incoming University of New England Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald has been chosen to receive the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) 2015 Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award. McDonald will receive the award June 15 at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida.

McDonald, who has spent the last 20 years serving as director of athletics at NCAA Division I Quinnipiac University, stated, "I am very honored to receive NACDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor represents all the great work and support from the senior leadership, athletics staff and fans."

University of New England President Danielle Ripich said, "This is a great honor for Jack and we look forward to his being on the UNE team starting June 1.  The award speaks to the quality of person that will become part of our UNE family."

McDonald steered Quinnipiac athletics through unparalleled growth during his 20 years as the department’s head, most notably as the guiding force in the University’s elevation from a NCAA Division II program to the Division I-AAA level, and by securing of NCAA certification in its first year at the Division I level. He was instrumental in the design and dedication of the TD Bank Sports Center – a dual-arena venue on the York Hill Campus that houses Quinnipiac’s men’s and women’s ice hockey and basketball programs. The impressive arena was a major factor in the Quinnipiac ice hockey program’s move to the prestigious ECAC Hockey league in 2005-06.

"Our Association is proud to present Jack McDonald with the 11th annual Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award," stated Ken Kavanagh, chair of the Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award Committee and director of athletics at Florida Gulf Coast University. "He is a well-deserved addition to the illustrious group of previous recipients, all of whom epitomize what this high honor represents to its core. We wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors at the University of New England, and appreciate him being a valued member of our I-AAA Athletics Directors Association since its foundation."

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.