News

Centerville, Mass. - Commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rudy Keeling announced the hiring of Dea Shipps as the Associate Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Senior Woman Administrator.  In her new role, Shipps will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the ECAC conference office and will supervise all aspects of internal operations, while reporting to the commissioner. Shipps will be responsible for overseeing ECAC championships, communications, finance, hockey and rowing, and the annual trade show and convention.  Other responsibilities will include attending and participating in Board of Directors meetings, helping to form a Board of Presidents, and participating in selection of staff. 

"When we created the new position of associate commissioner, it looked like the job description was written for Dea," said Keeling. "She was the perfect candidate and a great hire for us. She has a strong background from the NCAA and Chicago State and will complement our strengths here at the ECAC."

Shipps comes to the ECAC from the NCAA where she served as an Assistant Director of Enforcement since 2004. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant athletic director at Chicago
State University from 2001-2004. While there, Shipps worked in compliance and as a student-athlete advisor. Before moving into administration, Shipps was the head women's cross country and track and field coach at Chicago State from 1999-2002.

Shipps is a 1996 graduate of Chicago State with a degree in English. She also received her master's degree from Chicago State and graduated magna cum laude in 1999. Shipps recently began pursuing a doctorate in organizational leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University.

About the ECAC®

The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference in the country with 322 Division I, II, and III colleges and universities. The ECAC stretches from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors nearly 100 championships in 37 men's and women's sports and assigns more than 5,200 officials in 12 sports. The ECAC also administers 10 affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues and through the public relations arm of the conference, more than 4,000 student-athletes in 21 sports are recognized. Finally, the ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, men's gymnastics, wrestling, fencing and rowing.