HCAC Names Chris Ragsdale Next Commissioner
April 8, 2008
GREENWOOD , IN – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently named Chris Ragsdale as their next conference Commissioner. He succeeds the conference’s first Commissioner, Tom Bohlsen, who served in that position for the past ten years. Ragsdale will officially assume his new position on July 1.
Ragsdale comes to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference most recently from the University of LaVerne where he served as Athletic Director. The University is a NCAA Division III institution which sponsors 19 athletic programs for men and women and is a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
In his role as Athletic Director, his responsibilities included organization and management for the entire athletic department, budget preparation, scheduling, facility management, and fund raising. He was instrumental in the renovation of the Sports Science & Athletics Pavilion and developing plans for the new West Campus Athletic Complex. He hired eight new head coaches during his tenure at La Verne and the University captured 12 SCIAC team championships under his watch.
Prior to LaVerne, Ragsdale served as the AD at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois, where he held that title from 1991-2003. While at Elmhurst, he was responsible for the expansion of the intercollegiate athletic program from 14 to 18 sports.
Before his position at Elmhurst, he served as the Athletic Director at Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan from 1986-1991. He had extensive participation in the planning and opening of a $4 million sports facility during his tenure.
Ragsdale was also the head men’s basketball and golf coach at Alma College and Tarkio College before becoming an Athletic Director.
He currently serves on the NCAA Division III Membership Committee and NCAA Division III Intercollegiate Athletics Revenues & Expenses Committee and also served on a number of sports committees, including the NCAA Division III National Men’s Golf Committee and NCAA Division III Football Selection Committee.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to step into a leadership roll with the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference,” said Ragsdale. “The HCAC has nine outstanding institutions with tremendous athletic traditions that give high quality opportunities to their student athletes.”
Ragsdale, a graduate of Bowling Green State University, holds a masters degree of education in Health and Physical Education.
Chris resides with his wife Cindy and their daughter Jennifer is currently in her second year of graduate school at Central Michigan University.