PAC announces new officers for upcoming academic year

Courtesy Presidents' Athletic Conference Office of Communications

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (July 2) - The Rev. Dr. Tamara Nichols Rodenberg, president at Bethany College, will serve as the chair of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Presidents' Council for the 2018-18 academic year. Dr. Rodenberg's term began July 1.

Dr. Rodenberg succeeds Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, president at Westminster College, who served as the PAC Presidents' Council chair in 2017-18.

The Presidents' Council holds ultimate authority and responsibility for PAC governance. The Presidents' Council is responsible for the establishment, direction, and if necessary, the enforcement of general policy, including the conference office's annual budget and all other financial matters.

"Bethany College is pleased to be a long-time member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference, and I look forward to sharing resources while developing a meaningful and healthy competitive environment for all of our student-athletes. I am honored to work with the commissioner and my presidential colleagues to this end," said Dr. Rodenberg.

Dr. Rodenberg became Bethany's 20th President on January 1, 2016. Her vision has been to build on Bethany's historic Liberal Arts education model while creating a new dynamic environment where students can prepare themselves for the modern economy with tools that will make them ethical, innovative leaders. Before coming to Bethany, Dr. Rodenberg served on the campus of Texas Christian University as Brite's Vice President for Advancement in Fort Worth, Texas where she rebuilt the fundraising program and redesigned their digital and print marketing.

Prior to her arrival at TCU in 2011, Dr. Rodenberg was a two-year intentional interim president at the Disciples Seminary Foundation in Claremont, California. Before serving as interim president, she served the Foundation as Dean for Southern California overseeing the academic programs of the students.

Throughout her career, Dr. Rodenberg has held a variety of administrative and teaching positions. She has taught courses in ethics, inter-cultural studies, philosophy, world religions, the sociology of religion, and history and polity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as an adjunct member of the faculties of Claremont School of Theology and San Francisco Theological Seminary.

She also served as a missionary in Swaziland of the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, as a congregational minister in Kentucky and California, and as a campus minister at the University of Kentucky. In addition to her ministry, Dr. Rodenberg has served as the Disciples representative to the International Peace Commission of the World Council of Churches and served as a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches.

Dr. Rodenberg received her Bachelor of Arts from TCU, Master of Divinity from the Lexington Theological Seminary and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union. She also completed directed research from United Theological College in South India and from Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland.

Dr. Rodenberg and her husband John have two children, Heather and Matthew, and they reside on campus at the President's residence, Christman Manor at Pendleton Heights.

Stephen P. Thompson will serve as chair of the PAC Athletic Administrators (AA) Council. Thompson was recently named the director of athletics at Bethany after serving as the director of athletics at Eureka College in Illinois. Courtney Kline, entering her 12th season as the head women's volleyball coach, will chair the PAC Senior Woman Administrators Council (SWAC). The PAC Faculty Athletic Representatives Association (FARA) will be chaired by Jan Forsty, chair of Bethany's physical education and sports studies department.

At its Spring 2018 meeting the PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) named Bethany rising senior Fran Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio | Catholic Central) as its president for the 2018-19 academic year. Capaldi recently got her term of service as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) underway. A tennis and softball player with the Bison, she replaces Kayla Porter '17, the outgoing Division III SAAC chair and former volleyball player at Frostburg State University. Capaldi is one of 20 student-athletes representing the 43 Division III conferences and independent institutions.

While serving as a national representative for the PAC and its nine full-time members, Capaldi will also represent the PAC's partner conference, the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), and its 10 full-time members.

Bethany rising senior swimming and track & field student-athlete Mark Tichenor (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood) was also named one of the two PAC SAAC vice presidents.

Joe Onderko will continue to serve the PAC as its commissioner in 2018-19, beginning his 13th year directing the league and 18th year with the conference this fall. Kevin Fenstermacher begins his seventh year as a member of the PAC staff this fall as the league's assistant commissioner and director of communications after an 11-year run at conference member Thiel.

Founded in 1955, the PAC continues its mission of promoting intercollegiate athletics and the pursuit of academic excellence. Consisting of nine full members and three affiliate members located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, the PAC remains a unique organization in this day of high pressure intercollegiate athletics. With academics at the center of each member's philosophy, the PAC is built on the principle that an athletic program is a part of college life, but not an entity in itself. The PAC annually crowns champions in 23 sports (12 men, 11 women).