Growing as an Associate Director

Recorded On: 03/04/2021

  • Register
    • Non-member - $25
    • Member - Free!
    • Institutional Member - Free!
    • Premier Member - Free!

This panel discussion seeks to build the skills, knowledge, and capacity of current associate directors. Learn from the perspective of fellow associate directors to start your path to mastering managing in the middle.

Brooke Turner

Associate Director of Programs, Region II Regional Representative

The University of Alabama

An alumna of Georgia Tech and Florida State, Brooke started her collegiate recreation career working in Intramural Sports where she developed a passion for leadership development.  She held professional positions at the University of North Georgia and Kennesaw State (primarily working with Intramural Sports, but also having responsibilities with a challenge course, outdoor program, summer camps, sport clubs, pool management, and building projects) before taking a position at the University of Alabama as the Assistant Director for Competitive Sports and later the Associate Director for UREC Programs.  Brooke is an active NIRSA member who served in numerous volunteer roles including Chair of the NIRSA Championship Series.  She was honored in 2020 with the Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her chocolate lab and cooking.  

David Peters

Senior Associate Director, Campus Recreation

Florida State University

At FSU since 1995, David started in Campus Recreation as an IM flag football official moving up to the ranks to become the Director of Intramural Sports in the mid-2000s.  Since 2013, he has been an Associate Director for the department.  Active in NIRSA, David serves in various roles in the NIRSA Championship Series and was recently part of the Member Network and the Annual Conference Program Committee.  Despite a self-proclaimed lack of athletic talent, he is an avid wallyball player.

Sadat Kahn

Senior Associate Director, Facility Planning & Operations

University of Wisconsin- Madison

I currently serve as the Interim Senior Associate Director of Facility Planning & Operations at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I have been at Madison for the past 5.5 years growing our team within Member Services, Operations, Special Events, Technology, and Aquatics. In that time, I have been involved in the design, construction, and opening of the $7.5M Near West Turf Fields and the $90M Nicholas Recreation Center. I also have led the design on the 270,000 sq ft $95M replacement project for the Gym/Nat facility. Previous to UW Madison, I held positions at NC State, Arizona State, and MIT.

Education:
Arizona State University
Master of Education, 2013

Northeastern University
Bachelor in Criminal Justice, 2006

Steve Bobbitt

Associate Director for Programming

James Madison University/ UMass Amherst June 2021

Steve currently serves at James Madison University as the Associate Director of Programs and teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in the Hart School for Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management as well as for the Campus Recreation Master’s program. He has received both the NIRSA National Service Award and Region II Award of Merit.  His background is in outdoor and adventure education at several Virginia Parks and Recreation Departments, East Carolina University, and at JMU.  He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Radford University.  Starting at the end of June, Steve will be moving to work as the Campus Recreation Director at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Victoria Lopez-Herrera

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Victoria Lopez-Herrera is a partner, mother, sorority woman, Xicanista, and lover of coffee. Victoria’s passion for the empowerment of women, social justice issues, and advocacy for underrepresented students has guided her work in Student Affairs for 20 years. 

Victoria currently serves as the Senior Associate Director for Campus Recreation at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In her role, she oversees the development and training for approximately 300 student staff, the management of a 185,00 square foot facility, the Aquatics Center, Members Services, and administrative staff. Victoria is a certified indoor cycling instructor and Strengths Coach. She has served in administrative capacities at Columbia University, The New School, Cornell University, and Texas State University-San Marcos where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.

Victoria currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education and is a volunteer leader for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. 

Key:

Complete
Failed
Available
Locked
Growing as an Associate Director
Open to view video.
Open to view video.