Honor Roll
A member of the MAAC staff since 1990, Barbara Church brought her on-campus experience from Saint Peter’s College to the conference office. Her responsibilities include managing the MAAC budget and financial operations, overseeing the Conference’s compliance program, and serving as the HR Administrator and the Senior Woman Administrator. With the help of her leadership, the MAAC continued expanding women’s conference-sponsored sports to include rowing, water polo, lacrosse and most recently field hockey. Beyond administrative duties, Church serves as a mentor for many young interns, providing hands–on training and networking opportunities. A 1971 graduate of Montclair State College, Church was a physical education instructor and coach at Terang High School in Victoria, Australia and at Verona High School in New Jersey. She also served as field hockey coach and assistant to the sports information director at her alma mater. Church attended Washington State University in 1977, working as a graduate assistant, and earning her Master’s Degree in Physical Education and Recreation. She returned to New Jersey to become the Associate Athletic Director at Saint Peter’s College, where she served for 13 years. Church has been active on the state, regional, and national levels. She is the past president of the New Jersey Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) and the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ). She has served on numerous Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) committees, on the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, the NCAA Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, the NCAA Student-Athlete Re-Instatement Committee, and the NCAA Certification Committee. In 1993, Church was inducted into the Saint Peter’s College Hall of Fame; in 1997, was the recipient of the NJAIAW Special Achievement Award; and in 1999, received the CAANJ Garden State Award for substantial and enduring contributions to the development of intercollegiate athletics in the state of New Jersey. In 2001, Church was selected as the recipient of the ECAC Katherine Ley Award. This award is presented annually to honor a female athletics administrator who demonstrates the values and characteristics displayed by Katherine Ley through leadership ability, dedication to women’s issues and presence as a role model for women in intercollegiate athletics. When the MAAC was formed in 1980, Church was working at St. Peter’s College, a charter member of the conference.