The NCAA Board of Governors has added one new voting member in Colleen Perry Keith, president at Goldey-Beacom, as well as two nonvoting members in Roberta Page, director of athletics at Slippery Rock, and Lawrence P. Ward, vice president for learner success and dean of campus life at Babson.
Keith, who served the past year as the vice chair of the Division II Presidents Council, is now chair of the group that will transition Feb. 1 to the Division II Executive Board. Bringing 35 years of higher education experience, Keith will serve as the Division II representative on the Board of Governors, replacing the role filled by Minot State President Steve Shirley.
"Higher education as an industry is always changing. The role of intercollegiate athletics can and does help those changes in a positive way, especially given the importance of athletics in the life of our campuses," Keith said. "I am delighted to be serving in a way that helps to enhance the role that athletics plays for our campuses."
Page serves as chair of the Division II Management Council, a role she also held in 2007 when she was the director of athletics at Shippensburg. A former two-sport athlete at Slippery Rock, Page previously worked as a director of championships and alliances at the NCAA from 2009-21 before returning to her alma mater. She replaces Carrie Michaels, senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Shippensburg, on the board.
"I'm incredibly honored to serve in this role on the Board of Governors, especially given the important period of time that college sports is in," Page said. "I look forward to representing Division II and contributing to the board's discussions as we continue prioritizing the experience of student-athletes."
The chair of the Division III Management Council, Ward has worked at Babson since 2014. His current role includes providing campus leadership and oversight for intercollegiate athletics, along with many other duties. Ward replaces Holly Sheilley, vice president of athletics at Transylvania, on the board.
"I have long admired student-athletes for their dedication to academic and athletic success," Ward said. "They compete with passion and integrity for the love of their sport, their teammates and their institution. So I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to advocate for their interests, development, safety and overall well-being at the highest level of influence at the NCAA."
The three new members will participate in their first quarterly board meeting in April. The board includes nine voting members and seven nonvoting ex officio members. All three divisions are represented, including among the three graduated student-athletes represented on the board.
