PULLMAN – Kathleen Hatch, executive director of University Recreation & Wellbeing, has been named president-elect of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) after 25 years of service to the organization.
She is the first from WSU and the first Canadian to be named to the three-year presidential cycle.
A visionary leader at WSU and in her profession nationally, Hatch takes a unique approach to recreational sports – focusing on fostering cultures of inspired active living, but also on leadership, social justice and equality, wellbeing and sustainability.
One of her focuses is building a more sustainable world and empowering leaders and recreational organizations to support the green movement.
“Given the tremendous growth of recreational sports facilities and programs at colleges and universities the last decade, the potential impact to influence a ‘green revolution’ is staggering,” said Hatch.
She was recognized last April as recipient of the 2010 National Service Award from NIRSA. The award recognized her leadership and the impact WSU University Recreation has made on the profession by establishing a standard of excellence, innovation and creativity.
“It will be no surprise to anyone who knows Kathleen that she has been recognized for this national role,” said Joan King, associate vice president and chief university budget officer at WSU. “Her work here at WSU has shown that she has the vision and focus to provide great leadership to NIRSA in this critically important role.”
NIRSA is the leading resource for professional and student development, education and research in collegiate recreational sports. Founded in 1950 at Dillard University by 20 African American men and women intramural directors from 11 historically black colleges and universities, NIRSA is an international association of nearly 4,000 professional and student members from more than 700 college and university campuses.