2021-22 NJCAA Committee Chairs Revealed
Charlotte, NC— The NJCAA has announced the 2021-22 Committee Chairs for the 43 committees. Each chair serves as a direct contact and liaison for the committee and the NJCAA National Office staff, while also heading their committee all year.
With the academic year approaching, chairs are preparing to lead weekly conference calls, participate in national rankings respectively, assist with postseason at-large and seeding selections, and All-America selections. Additionally, chairs complete any committee-related assignments and annual NJCAA Convention tasks. In some cases, chairs will attend their respective national championship(s).
In June, the NJCAA announced the creation of Division I and Division III Women's Golf. As a result, this year there is a sport committee for each women's golf division. The NJCAA Division I Women's Golf Committee is chaired by first-time chair Jim Gerwitz, NJCAA Region 16 Women's Director and Mineral Area (MO) Athletic Director. The NJCAA Division DIII Women's Golf Committee and the NJCAA DIII Men's Golf Committee is led by Tommy Stewart, NJCAA Board of Regents member and Holyoke (MA) Athletic Director.
On the women's side, first-time committee chairs include Tony Tompkins, NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Chair, NJCAA Region 6 Women's Director, and Kansas City Kansas Athletic Director; Derek Viveiros, NJCAA DIII Women's Basketball Chair, NJCAA Region 21 Women's Director, and Bristol (MA) Athletic Director; Riann Mullis, NJCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Chair and Neosho (KS) Athletic Director; and Kurt Koehler, NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Chair, and Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) Executive Director.
First-time committee chairs on the men's side include Zach Schwan, NJCAA DIII Men's Soccer Chair and SUNY Adirondack Athletic Director; Greg Witkop, NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Chair, NJCAA Region 20 Men's Assistant Director, and CCBC Essex (MD) Administrator of Athletics; and Mark Tucker, NJCAA Division III Baseball Chair, NJCAA Region 10 Men's Assistant Director, and Surry (NC) Athletic Director. For the joint committees, the only new chair and first-time chair is Steve Mullen, NJCAA Swimming and Diving Committee Chair and Erie (NY) Athletic Director.
As announced in December 2020 and early this year, the NJCAA recognizes five emerging sports and as a result, committees have been formed for each. The NJCAA Cheerleading Chair is Michael Landers, NJCAA Region 14 Men's Assistant Director and Navarro (TX) Athletic Director. The NJCAA Clay Target Shooting Chair is Steve Crittenden, NJCAA Region 13 Board of Regents member and Anoka Ramsey (MN) Dean of Student Affairs. Leading the NJCAA Men's Volleyball Committee is Megan Aiello, NJCAA Region 10 Women's Assistant Director and Spartanburg Methodist (SC) Athletic Director. The Women's Flag Football Committee Chair is Steve Martin, NJCAA Board of Regents Member Region 23 Men's Director and MACJC Commissioner. Dustin Grover, NJCAA Region 2 Men's Assistant Director and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, is the NJCAA Women's Wrestling Chair.
The NJCAA Eligibility Committee will be led by Troy Tucker, NJCAA Board of Regents member, NJCAA Region 19 Executive Director, Northampton (PA) Athletic Director, as chair for the athletic year. Tucker is a four-time Under Armour National Athletic Director of the Year and recipient of the 2019 NJCAA Loyalty Award, given to an athletic director that best represents the association and withstanding leadership. Tucker has overseen facility renovations and is responsible for the oversight and management of Northampton's intercollegiate sports and athletic facilities. Mike Saddler will accompany Tucker as Vice Chair and is the current NJCAA Region 6 Men's Director, Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Secretary and Treasurer, and the NJCAA Division Baseball Chair.
Jerry Smith, NJCAA Board of Regents member, NJCAA Region 1 Women's Director, and longtime Arizona Western Athletic Director, and Kevin Vest, NJCAA Region 14 Women's Assistant Director and Tyler (TX) Athletic Director, are Co-Chairs of the NJCAA Championship Events Committee. This is Smith's fourth year leading the committee. Smith was the recipient of the 2019 NJCAA Mary Ellen Leicht Service Award and has led the Matadors to crowning achievements in his last 16 years with the program. Just the fifth athletic director in the history of Tyler, Vest oversees the operations of twelve sport offerings, a department claiming over 62 national championships.
For a full list, visit NJCAA Sport Committees and see below:
| 2021-22 NJCAA COMMITTEE CHAIRS | ||||
| NAME | COMMITTEE | AFFILIATION | REGION | |
| Mike Saddler | DI Baseball | Colby (KS) | 6 | |
| Lind Hartsell | DII Baseball | NJCAA Region 10 | 10 | |
| Mark Tucker | DIII Baseball | Surry (NC) | 10 | |
| Dean Myrick | DI Men's Basketball | ACCC | 22 | |
| Chris DePew | DII Men's Basketball | SUNY Sullivan (NY) | 15 | |
| Greg Witkop | DIII Men's Basketball | CCBC Essex (MD) | 20 | |
| Jake Ripple | DI/DIII Football | Dodge City (KS) | 6 | |
| Wayne Baker | DI Men's Golf | Odessa (TX) | 5 | |
| Dale Vos | DII Men's Golf | St. Clair College (MI) | 12 | |
| Tommy Stewart | DIII Men's Golf | Holyoke (MA) | 21 | |
| Aaron Bouyea | DI Men's Soccer | Monroe (NY) | 3 | |
| Jay Mehrhoff | DII Men's Soccer | East Central (MO) | 16 | |
| Zach Schwan | DIII Men's Soccer | SUNY Adirondack | 3 | |
| Art Becker | DI/DIII Men's Tennis | Scottsdale (AZ) | 1 | |
| Thom McDonald | Wrestling | ICCAC | 11 | |
| Megan Aiello | Beach Volleyball | Spartanburg Methodist (SC) | 10 | |
| Darren Pannier | DI Women's Basketball | State Fair (MO) | 16 | |
| Tony Tompkins | DII Women's Basketball | Kansas City Kansas | 6 | |
| Derek Viveiros | DIII Women's Basketball | Bristol (MA) | 21 | |
| Jim Gerwitz | DI Women's Golf | Mineral Area (MO) | 16 | |
| Tommy Stewart | DIII Women's Golf | Holyoke (MA) | 21 | |
| JoAnn Rogers | DI Women's Soccer | Prince George (MD) | 20 | |
| Darren Pannier | DII Women's Soccer | State Fair (MO) | 16 | |
| Kristen Schuth | DIII Women's Soccer | Genesee (NY) | 3 | |
| Brett Monoghan | DI Softball | Indian Hills (IA) | 11 | |
| Nick Schroeder | DII Softball | Catawba Valley (NC) | 10 | |
| Kristen Schuth | DIII Softball | Genesee (NY) | 3 | |
| Tim Drain | DI/DIII Women's Tennis | Tyler (TX) | 14 | |
| Joel Bate | DI Women's Volleyball | Southern Idaho | 18 | |
| Riann Mullis | DII Women's Volleyball | Neosho (KS) | 6 | |
| Kurt Koehler | DIII Women's Volleyball | MCAC | 13 | |
| Mike Belfiore | Bowling | Westchester (NY) | 15 | |
| Jerry Smith | Championship Events | Arizona Western | 1 | |
| Kevin Vest | Championship Events | Tyler (TX) | 14 | |
| Tom Shaw | Cross Country | Kellogg (MI) | 12 | |
| Troy Tucker | Eligibility | Northampton (PA) | 19 | |
| Aaron Bouyea | Lacrosse | Monroe (NY) | 3 | |
| Steve Mullen | Swimming and Diving | Erie (NY) | 3 | |
| Shane Larson | Track and Field | Iowa Western | 11 | |
| Michael Landers | Competitive Cheerleading | Navarro (TX) | 14 | |
| Steve Crittenden | Clay Target Shooting | Anoka Ramsey (MN) | 13 | |
| Megan Aiello | Men's Volleyball | Spartanburg Methodist (SC) | 10 | |
| Steven Martin | Women's Flag Football | MACJC | 23 | |
| Dustin Grover | Women's Wrestling | Northeastern Oklahoma A&M | 2 | |
