3 students nominated for spot in AD search

With the submission of three candidates for the remaining spot on the Athletic Director Search Committee, the UW administration should have the committee's roster finalized by Monday, an official said.

ASUW President Brittany Goodnight and Julia Harrison, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS), nominated the students Wednesday.

The sole undergraduate nominee is Marissa Carry, who, according to Goodnight, has extensive athletics experience. Carry has served as a men's tennis manager, an intern in Husky sports marketing, a student athletic trainer and has served on the ASUW Personnel Committee, Goodnight said.

"We tried to look for students who had a combination of experience in both athletics and student government," Goodnight said.

The two graduate-student nominees include Jennifer Hoffman, from the GPSS, and Alex Bolton, a GPSS senator for the Evans School of Public Affairs, who has served on the ASUW Board of Directors.

UW football player James Sims is the other student on the search committee.

According to Goodnight, Bolton is a blend of the GPSS and the ASUW, a student who has done extensive work on both.

"We had the choice to recommend between two and four students," said Goodnight. "We felt that the third student would represent both of our interests."

Bolton said he has a great interest in Husky athletics as a student and as a fan.

"One thing I really want to focus on (in a new athletics director) is graduation rates and see if they have had influence on improving that wherever they work now," Bolton said. Bolton added that he also has experience serving on the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Board.

The student-government presidents submitted the nominees to Norm Arkans, associate vice president for University relations. Whoever fills the position will be chosen either today or early next week, according to Arkans, who sits on the search committee. Arkans added that President Lee Huntsman will make the choice between the three students.

"We are impressed with all of the candidates and think they are all qualified," Arkans said.

Huntsman is in Hawaii at an alumni event, but is likely examining the student nominees' qualifications in order to make a decision quickly, Arkans said.

Arkans said the search committee starts meeting next week and the students serving on the committee will be chosen before then.