Middlebury College Director of Athletics Erin Quinn '86 was named a 2020–21 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division III Athletics Director of the Year as announced by the organization on Wednesday. He will be recognized at the 2021 NACDA and Affiliates Virtual Convention, July 27–28.

"Erin is one of the most remarkable leaders I have worked with in higher education," said President Laurie Patton. "In my many conversations with him, about easy and tough issues, he is always ready to learn. Erin is a listener, and he leads with listening. He also has a wonderful way of including everyone in his circle. His sense of humor, his openness, and his quiet dignity aren't just character traits of his own. Somehow, in embodying those qualities, Erin inspires everyone else to laugh and be open, too. Simply by being himself, Erin gives those around him dignity as well."

This year, Quinn guided the Panthers through myriad challenging circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked diligently with the COVID-19 Task Force to make safe and thoughtful plans related to student-athletes, including the decision to allow teams to practice throughout the year. Quinn aided with the transformation of Virtue Field House into the College's testing center and developed in-depth plans for the fitness center's reopening, which included a safely spaced cardio area inside the ice hockey arena concourse, a separate weight room for group workouts, and procedures for monitoring and cleaning all spaces. From helping to staff the testing center to assisting in line management at dining halls, Quinn and his staff had a visible presence on campus during the pandemic.

"Erin has gone far beyond the normal expectations of an athletic director in confronting, head-on, many important issues in higher education," said Provost Jeff Cason. "He has been extensively involved with broad institutional efforts to promote mindfulness as an everyday practice. In addition, well before last summer's racial reckoning that has occurred nationwide, Erin was out front on issues of diversity and inclusion. He has redoubled these efforts in recent months, and I think it is fair to say that Erin and his colleagues in athletics have been true institutional leaders in our anti-racism efforts."

Though the Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has existed for several years, in the wake of George Floyd's murder there was a recognition and acknowledgment of the need to serve Middlebury's Black student-athletes better. Since then, Quinn, in conjunction with the committee, has worked to create real change within the athletics community and on campus. Some of the major highlights include welcoming uncomfortable conversations into everyday life with the Leaning Into Discomfort series; hosting several workshops and trainings for staff, faculty, and student-athletes on anti-racism; and helping the Student-Athletes of Color (SAOC) group achieve organization status. Currently, Quinn is leading the charge on developing a five-year plan for DEI work within athletics.

"I am honored to receive this recognition," said Quinn. "In any year, this would reflect a team effort, but given the circumstances of the past year, it is even more the case. I am fortunate to be a part of an amazing community at Middlebury, broadly, and within athletics. Everyone has worked together so well under challenging circumstances to make the best of this past year. To the degree that I am being recognized for these efforts, it truly echoes the strength of the Middlebury athletics community."
 
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A link to the full NACDA release and list of award winners can be found here.