Dr. Patterson Receives Award of Merit at 2022 D2CCA Summer Meeting
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. - The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) officially awarded Dr. Alan Patterson, former Conference Carolinas Commissioner, the 2021 D2CCA Award of Merit.
Patterson was notified that he would receive the award in the summer of 2021, but he was honored in person at the Award of Merit reception as part of the 2022 D2CCA summer meetings on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
In addition, the D2CCA also recognized the 2020 Award of Merit recipient, Dr. Jerry McGee of Wingate.
"The D2CCA is proud to recognize former colleague Dr. Alan Patterson as the recipient of the 2021 Award of Merit," stated Great Midwest Athletic Conference Commissioner and D2CCA President Tom Daeger. "Dr. Patterson contributed significantly to Division II in his over 30 years of service as Commissioner of Conference Carolinas. Dr. Patterson, who led Conference Carolinas from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership, was vocal in focusing the Division's efforts on supporting student-athletes and driving consideration of the supporting role athletics plays in developing their educational experience. A long-time treasurer of the D2CCA, Dr. Patterson served as a steady presence and trusted mentor to many Commissioners during his time with the organization."
Patterson began his career part-time as the Conference Carolinas Commissioner back in 1982, marking his tenure the longest in Conference Carolinas history following his retirement in 2019. During his early part-time Commissioner years, he was also employed as head of the physical education department at High Point University. Following that, while still in a dual role, he served as Athletics Director at Catawba College until 1989 before starting his own real estate investment business. His role as conference Commissioner did not become full-time until 1995 when Conference Carolinas transitioned from NAIA to Division II. Throughout Patterson's 37 years as Commissioner, he saw numerous member school changes and also oversaw the sponsored championships increase from 14 to 23 sports.
In his honor, the top award given in Conference Carolinas was named the Body, Mind & Soul Dr. Alan Patterson Cup, which goes on to measure athletic and academic achievements. This award is the ultimate comprehensive conference award that recognizes the member institution with the best average ranking when combining the Hawn Cup, the Allan Sharp Award and the Messick Award.
In addition to his role at Conference Carolinas, Patterson also served as the D2CCA Treasurer for nearly two decades before he retired. In this role, he led the financial health of the Association and used his decision-making process for the betterment of the Division II members. Patterson was also involved at the national level with his service on the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
The Award of Merit is the highest honor presented by the D2CCA and is reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the entire NCAA Division II membership and the Division II student-athlete experience.
Dr. Patterson joins an extraordinary group of individuals who have been honored with the D2 CCA Award of Merit: Noel Olson, former Commissioner of the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1998); Bob Vanatta, former Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference (1999); Fred Jacoby, former Commissioner of the Lone Star Conference (2000); Sonny Moran, former Athletic Director at Morehead State (KY) University (2001); Bill Moore, former Commissioner of the New England Collegiate Conference (2002); Mike Racy, former NCAA Vice President for Division II (2003); Dr. Adam Herbert, former President of the University of North Florida (2004); Dr. Kent Wyatt, former President of Delta State University (2005); Don Landry, former Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference (2006); Dr. Charles Ambrose, former President of Pfeiffer University (2007); Arend D. (Don) Lubbers, former President Emeritus of Grand Valley State University (2008); Elwood "Woody" Hahn, former PacWest Commissioner (2009); Doug Echols, former SAC Commissioner (2010); Tom Brown, former GLIAC Commissioner (2011); Terri Steeb-Gronau, Vice President of NCAA Division II (2012); Nancy Mitchell, former Executive Director of the DII CCA (2013); Robert Hiegert, former CCAA Commissioner (2014); Butch Raymond, former commissioner of the NSIC (2015); Barry Blizzard, former WVIAC Commissioner (2016); Ruth Reinhardt, executive assistant for Division II at the NCAA (2017); Mike Marcil, former Sunshine State Commissioner (2018); Bob Boerigter former director of athletics at Northwest Missouri State University and former commissioner of the MIAA (2019); and Dr. Jerry McGee, former Wingate University president (2020).
Please visit
HERE to see the official release from the summer of 2021.
About D2CCA
Initiated in 1992 to promote its member conferences and institutions, D2CCA has made its mark in providing a united front for NCAA Division II athletics. Created after the break-up of the College Division Commissioners Association, the D2CCA continues to create lines of communication and opportunities for its member conferences. The D2CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 56
th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit
www.nacda.com.
About Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas has a rich tradition in roots that dates back to its inception on Dec. 6, 1930. The NCAA Division II athletics conference presently has member schools located in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Member institutions are Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel, Erskine, Francis Marion, King, Lees-McRae, Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, North Greenville and Southern Wesleyan.
Conference Carolinas believes in the development and formation of the whole person in body, mind and soul. Our students are nationally recognized for their extraordinary success in the classroom, in the community and at the highest levels of NCAA competition.
Conference Carolinas is built upon the idea of offering challenging NCAA competition in an environment that fosters both the academic and athletic achievements of its student-athletes. Conference members offer exemplary educations and scholarships for performance in the classroom and on the field. Conference Carolinas and its members are committed to challenging adversity and building tomorrow's leaders.
Learn more at
ConferenceCarolinas.com.
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