Hampton, VA. - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) today announced the appointment of Jacqie Carpenter as Commissioner of the conference, effective in early September.

“The CIAA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Jacqie Carpenter as our new Commissioner.  She is a very talented athletics leader who brings rich and varied experience and skills from years at the NCAA.  We welcome her tremendous enthusiasm for the future of the CIAA. These are the principal reasons that the Board chose her to lead our conference to a higher level of excellence” said Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Carpenter

Carpenter is the first appointed African-American female Commissioner of the CIAA. The CIAA, celebrating the Centennial of its founding in 1912, is comprised of predominantly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to work closely with the CIAA Board of Directors and staff to develop a forward-looking strategic plan. We will provide effective, stable management reflective of the CIAA’s remarkable history. Our focus will be to deliver a successful second century to the CIAA within a culture that assures the highest quality experience and opportunities for our student-athletes and membership” said Carpenter.

Carpenter comes to the CIAA from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), where she was promoted from assistant to associate director in her initial championship assignments. In more than nine years with the NCAA, she served as Director, Championships and Alliances, Director of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and finally, on the leadership team of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship managing one of the largest events in the country, with annual viewership exceeding 150 million. Carpenter’s various responsibilities included oversight of tournament external operations and lodging, collaboration with corporate partners and champions, and the development of an industry leading community relations program for the championship.

Carpenter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hampton University in 1991 while participating in volleyball and basketball and was a member of the 1988 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship team. Continuing her education, she earned a Master of Arts in Sports Management and Administration from Temple University in 1993. Carpenter also was the head volleyball coach and assistant women’s basketball coach at Virginia Union University and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women in Athletic Administration (NACWAA) and the Black Women in Sport Foundation (BWSF).