Heasley Williams named COW athletic director

Heasley Williams named COW athletic director
Matt Dilyard, The College of Wooster

Amy Heasley Williams has been named by The College of Wooster as its next athletics and physical education director, following a national search.

                        

The College of Wooster appointed Amy Heasley Williams, associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Kenyon College, as its next athletics and physical education director, following a national search. Her appointment is effective July 15.

Reporting to Wooster provost Lisa Perfetti, Williams will provide strategic oversight of all intercollegiate, intramural and recreational programs at The College of Wooster including setting a long-term vision for athletics, implementing assessment of programs, and directing daily operations to ensure adherence to conference regulations and higher education best practices.

Williams also will support the enrollment and retention goals and strategies of the college and build partnerships on campus, among the Wooster alumni and within the community, to grow support for athletics.

“We feel so fortunate that we have been able to bring Amy on board because of her extensive experience in collegiate athletics at two liberal arts colleges, her depth of understanding of strategic planning, and her outstanding reputation as a leader in the North Coast Athletic Conference,” Perfetti said. “Her prior experiences and deep commitment to the scholar-athlete model will help lead Wooster athletics through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that ensures student well-being, and our commitment to equity and inclusion remain at the forefront of all decision-making.”

Williams arrives at Wooster after spending the last 20 years in a variety of athletic administration and coaching roles at Kenyon College, most recently as associate athletic director and senior woman administrator, where her work focused on athletic alumni relations, development and gender equity.

“I am excited to be joining The College of Wooster community. The college’s purpose is meaningful, the people are dedicated and the potential is great,” Williams said. “Wooster’s long commitment to service, diversity and community is a distinguishing feature of the college, and the athletics program serves as an important complement to that educational mission. This integration provides an opportunity for excellence in every way. I look forward to working together to support the complete Wooster experience; to celebrate, honor and build on the competitive tradition; and to help all students develop and thrive.”

Prior to Williams' elevation to associate athletic director in 2017, she spent nearly a decade as assistant athletic director, oversaw NCAA compliance and served as Kenyon’s aquatics director for over 17 years. During her tenure she also coached men’s and women’s swimming. In 2018 she served a stint as Kenyon’s interim director of athletics, fitness and recreation.

Williams' coaching career in swimming and diving started at Kenyon in 1990 when as an assistant she helped to lead the Lords and Ladies to a sweep of NCAA titles during each of her four seasons. She then took the head coaching position at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and led the Bantams for six seasons while also assisting the cross country program before returning to Kenyon.

Williams currently serves as president of the North Coast Athletic Conference’s Intercollegiate Officiating Association, is a member (and former chair) of the NCAA Div. III Swimming and Diving Championships Committee, and is the athletic directors’ liaison to the NCAC for swimming and diving. She previously served a two-year term as women’s athletics directors' representative for NCAC and is finishing a six-year term as a member of the NCAC’s selection committee for the Pam Smith and Don Hunsinger awards.

“We are delighted that Amy will be coming to Wooster to lead athletics and physical education,” said Sarah Bolton, president of Wooster. “She brings tremendous experience from Kenyon College, a deep commitment to the student-athlete experience and a passion for the role that strong Div. III athletics plays in making colleges great places for students to learn and grow. We look forward to welcoming her to campus, to sharing with her Wooster’s strengths and traditions, and to working with her as she leads the next chapter for this terrific department.”

Williams earned her B.A. in psychology from Kenyon College and an M.A. in American studies from Trinity College. She is one of the most decorated Div. III women’s swimmers in NCAA history. She led the Ladies to four NCAA national championships as a collegiate swimmer and earned 22 individual NCAA titles — the third-most all time. She was inducted into Kenyon’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. Williams and her husband, Chris (an ’84 graduate of The College of Wooster), have three children: Samantha (26), Robert (23) and Maggie (18).

With her appointment, Williams becomes the first full-time female athletic director overseeing all intercollegiate athletics at The College of Wooster. She takes over for Kristyn King, who led the department on an interim basis during the 2019-20 academic year after the retirement of 17-year incumbent Keith Beckett.


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