General | 5/4/2021 4:00:00 PM
Elmira College president Chuck Lindsay announced that Associate Director of Athletics and Physical Education,
Rhonda Faunce, will serve as the College's Interim Director of Athletics beginning on Monday, June 14.
Faunce will take the reins from Associate Vice President of Athletics
Renee Carlineo, who announced in April her decision to step down at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year.
No stranger to the EC community, Faunce has spent over three decades with the Soaring Eagles. Before joining the administrative staff, she spent 31 seasons coaching Elmira's women's volleyball and softball teams and is the all-time winningest coach for both programs with over 1,000 combined wins. On the volleyball court, Faunce mentored 15 All-Region, six All-American, and two Academic All-America picks. With the softball team, she led the Soaring Eagles to five Empire 8 Conference Championship tournaments and saw 41 players receive E8 All-Conference honors.
Since her promotion to Associate Director of Athletics and Physical Education prior to the 2019-20 academic year, Faunce has served the athletics department as a key member of the senior administrative staff. In addition to her role as the Director of Physical Education, Faunce is responsible for overseeing budgets and game management duties at home contests, coordinating schedules, and securing transportation for all varsity athletics programs. She also heads the annual Under the Dome Craft Fair, a major fundraiser for the athletics department.
"Athletics is a vital component of the EC experience and integral to the College's mission," Dr. Lindsay said. "I look forward to working with Rhonda and the entire staff to support the department in achieving its goals."
As a student-athlete, the Great Bend, New York, native achieved unprecedented success at nearby Ithaca College. Faunce became the first Ithaca women's volleyball player to earn All-America honors, which she received twice during her junior and senior years. In 2011, she was inducted into the Ithaca College Athletics Hall of Fame.