NEW HAVEN, Conn. (June 7, 2019) -- Georgian Court University Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Laura Liesman has been named the 2018-19 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Athletic Director of the Year, as voted on by her peers and announced at the conference's end-of-the-year meeting recently in Bethlehem, Pa. The announcement and presentation of the award was made by CACC Commissioner Dan Mara.

The voting for the award was done by Liesman's peers in the conference, as all 14 athletic directors voted on the honor. The voting was done earlier in the 2018-19 season, as Liesman also became a nominee for the NACDA/Under Armour Division II AD of the Year honor.

Under Liesman's guidance, Georgian Court enjoyed a tremendous 2018-19 campaign as the school played host to the inaugural CACC Spring Championship Festival (May 2-5) and won four conference championships overall (men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's track & field and women's track & field). In addition, the school's women's soccer team claimed the CACC Regular Season Championship, while the softball program also claimed the league's CACC crown, advanced to the conference final and made the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament.

The CACC Spring Championship Festival was a major undertaking for Liesman and the GCU staff, as the school and conference office hosted five championship events in a four-day span in early May (MLAX, WLAX, SB, MOT&F, WOT&F). The event not only featured five championships, but also a community service event with local elementary schools, music from iHeart Radio, food trucks, apparel vendors and other festival type activities. The entire weekend was a major success for the school and conference.

In addition to those activities, Georgian Court has been among the national leaders in hours accrued in the Helper, Helper app, which tracks all Division II schools for community service hours completed. 

Liesman currently serves on the league's Directors Council Executive Committee as Past President, while also serving as chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council which helps to implement the direction of the D2 level in the national organization.

ABOUT THE CACC
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University), Nyack College, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.