CUNYAC Officers For 2004-2005 Campaign

CUNY Athletic Conference Announces Officers For 2004-2005 Campaign

Bronx, NY - The City University of New York Athletic Conference has announced its new officers for the 2004-2005 campaign. In the Senior College Division, Dr. Harold Merritt, College of Staten Island’s Director of Athletics and Athletic Facilities will serve as President, and Dr. Linda Barley, the Director of Athletics at York College has been elected Vice President. Steve Kelly, the Director of Athletics at Manhattan Community College has been elected President of the Community College Division and Dr. Donna Genova, the Athletic Director at Bronx Community Colleges, will serve as the Vice President.

Now in his fifth year as the College of Staten Island’s Director of Athletics and Athletic Facilities, Dr. Harold Merritt oversees the school’s ten-sport intercollegiate athletics program, as well as the state of the art Sports and Recreation Center. Immediately prior to his arrival at CSI, he served as Athletic Director for the city of Houston, Texas. Before that, he coached Division I basketball Northern Arizona University for four seasons. A native of New York City, Dr. Merritt attended Columbus High School in the Bronx before attending the University of Albany, where he earning his bachelors degree, to play collegiate basketball. Upon graduation, he began his coaching career at the University of New Orleans. After a year at Long Beach State as an assistant, Merritt earned his first head-coaching job at Morris Brown College. Following three seasons with the Wolverines, Merritt moved on to take an assistant coaching position with Division I Northern Arizona University. Merritt served two years as an assistant with the Lumberjacks before being named head coach in 1990. While at Northern Arizona, Merritt went on to complete his Masters Degree in Counseling, as well as his Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Now in her sixth year as York College’s Director of Athletics, Dr. Barley oversees the college’s thirteen-sport intercollegiate athletic program and recreation and intramural programs. Dr. Barley has been a faculty member of York College since 1981. During her tenure with City University of New York, she has served in several capacities: as faculty in the Department of Health & Physical Education and Gerontological Studies & Services, Faculty Fellow at CUNY Central serving with the University Dean for Health Sciences, as Dean for Academic Affairs at York College, and most recently as Chair and Athletic Director at York College. Prior to joining the City University of New York, Dr. Barley served as a hospital administrator for the [then] Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens. Dr. Barley earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. Francis College, located in Brooklyn, M.S. in Health Sciences from Hunter College, and a Doctorate in Health Education and Gerontology from Columbia University.

Kelly is in his eighth year as the Athletic Director at Borough of Manhattan Community College and in his fourth year as Community College President. In his tenure at BMCC, the Panthers have won twelve CUNYAC Championships and sent four teams to the National Championships after winning Region XV titles, including the National runner-up women’s basketball team in 2001. Similarly, the Downtown Manhattan School has won the Community College Commissioner’s Cup the first five times it was awarded, beginning with the 1997-98 academic year, which was Kelly’s first at the helm. Before BMCC, Kelly was the Associate Athletic Director at Fordham University for nine years (1988-98). Previously, from 1980-1989 he was the Athletic Director and Basketball Coach at nearby Dominican College.

Dr. Donna Genova enters her 15th year as the Athletic Director at Bronx Community College. She has had a long and highly distinguished career at the Bronx campus, having taught in the Health and Physical Education Department for the past 33 years. Dr. Genova earned her doctorate in Educational Administration from Fordham University in 1989, and is a graduate of Queens College where she lettered in field hockey, basketball and softball. She received the “Grey Knight Award” in her senior season as the outstanding student-athlete. Following that, she started as a teaching assistant at Indiana University, from where she received her M.S. in Physical Education.

For Transactions: The CUNY Athletic Conference elected Dr. Harold Merritt President of the Senior College Division and Dr. Linda Barley as Vice President. In addition, Steve Kelly was named President of the Community College Division and Dr. Donna Genova was selected as Vice President.