Springfield, Mass. – August 14, 2018 – The National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) is excited to announce that Jon Santer has been named the Executive Director, effective immediately. For the last two years, Santer has served as the Director of Communications and Strategic Media for the NCGA, the governing body for women’s gymnastics at the Division III level.
As the Executive Director of the NCGA, Santer will be in charge of administering and enforcing the association’s policies and procedures, while also working hand-in-hand with the association’s administrators and coaches. In addition to his new role as the Executive Director of the NCGA, Santer is also the Coordinator of Media Relations at Springfield College, where he has been since August of 2014.
“I could not be more excited to take this new step as the Executive Director of the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association,” said Santer. “I would like to express my gratitude to Erin Thacker and the search committee for providing me the opportunity to lead an organization that I am so passionate about, and to continue to strengthen and build the sport of women’s gymnastics at the Division III level. I would also like to thank Jen Miller-McEachern, who has been a mentor to me in the early stages of my career, and has undoubtedly prepared me to make necessary decisions that will foster a preeminent championship experience for the student-athletes, coaches and administrators within the NCGA.”
As the Director of Communications and Strategic Media for the NCGA, Santer was tasked with maintaining and updating the organization’s website, dispersing team and individual rankings on a week-to-week basis, operating all three social media accounts for the governing body, and posting press releases in an effort to promote the sport of women’s gymnastics.
Aside from his primary responsibilities with the NCGA, Santer, along with the former Executive Director, Jen Miller-McEachern, worked as a team to pursue and complete major initiatives for the organization, including the creation of an alumnae database, establishing a partnership with Champions Choice, and implementing a fundraising platform where online donations can be accepted. In addition, Santer spearheaded the creation and implementation of a new logo, managed a website redesign and completed a promotional video for the NCGA, to utilize for marketing and promotions purposes, particularly as it related to corporate sponsors.
“Throughout the search process, Jon’s vision for the future of the NCGA combined with his passion for providing a top notch experience for all Division III gymnasts was unmatched,” said Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Erin Thacker. “The NCGA and all of our programs are in good hands with Jon as our new leader, and we are all confident that Jon will be able to continue to move the organization forward in a positive direction.”
A native of East Longmeadow, Mass., Santer graduated from Springfield College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Sports Journalism, before being hired as the Coordinator of Media Relations at his alma mater. With the Pride, Santer was a four-year member and of the men’s lacrosse team, serving as captain for two seasons, and helping the Pride win four-straight Pilgrim Lacrosse League titles.