Empire 8 Commissioner Mitrano Named DIIICA President
ROCHESTER, NY – Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano has assumed the position as President of the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) after completing his term as the association’s Vice-President. He will serve in that role for one year ending at the NCAA Convention in January 2012.
The DIIICA represents 43 conferences consisting of 434 institutions, the largest membership of any NCAA division. Mitrano, who is also a member of the NCAA Convention Planning Committee, has been an active member of the DIIICA since becoming Empire 8 Commissioner in 2001. The organization works closely with affiliated groups, including NCAA, NACDA, NADIIIAA, NACWAA, and Division III Independents. He also serves as commissioner of the United Volleyball Conference, a single-sport men’s volleyball conference.
A national expert that speaks across the country on the topics of sportsmanship, ethics, and leadership, Mitrano was named one of the “100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America” by the Institute of International Sport (IIS) in November of 2007. Fellow honorees include the late former NCAA President Myles Brand, Joe Paterno, Pat Summitt, Phil Jackson, the late John Wooden, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Andre Agassi to name a few. He was also selected the ECAC Josten’s Male Administrator of the Year in 2008, the first male commissioner from the ECAC membership to earn this distinction.
Under his leadership Empire 8 was named an “All-American Sportsmanship Conference” by the IIS. Empire 8 is the first athletic conference in any division or level to ever receive this prestigious honor. Mitrano was appointed to the Josten’s Trophy Selection Committee which selects the Most Outstanding Women’s and Men’s Basketball Players in Division III. Mitrano was also tagged as the Director of Collegiate Partnerships for National Sportsmanship Day in 2009. In 2007 he successfully lobbied the NCAA to host a first of its kind Hazing Summit which he moderated and was widely attended by all three divisions.
Empire 8 consists of Alfred University (NY), Elmira College (NY), Hartwick College (NY), Ithaca College (NY), Nazareth College (NY), Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), St. John Fisher College (NY), Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) and Utica College (NY).