Council of Presidents
Chief executive officers of NAIA institutions are critical to the success of the organization. They assume active leadership roles in governance affairs within each conference and are major advocates for the unique approach that the NAIA takes to college athletics.
The Council of Presidents (COP) is composed of institutional chief executive officers elected to represent conferences, independent institutions and members at-large.
COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
January 1-December 31, 2018
Kent Henning, Chair
President
Grand View University, Iowa
Paul Ague, Chair-Elect
President
San Diego Christian College
Don Blackketter
Chancellor
Montana Tech
Arvid Johnson
President
University of St. Francis, Illinois
Lester Newman
President
Jarvis Christian College, Texas
Amy Novak
President
Dakota Wesleyan
Jim Carr
President & CEO
NAIA Staff Liaison
COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS |
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| American Midwest Conference | Dr. John Pieper | Saint Louis College of Pharmacy, MO | |
| Appalachian Athletic Conference | Dr. David Olive | Bluefield College, VA | |
| Association of Independent Institutions | Mr. Jayson Boyers | Cleary University, MI | |
| At-Large | Dr. Paul Ague | San Diego Christian College, CA | |
| At-Large | Mr. Kent Henning | Grand View University, IA | |
| California Pacific Conference | Dr. Frank Ayers | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, AZ | |
| Cascade Collegiate Conference | Dr. Andrea Cook | Warner Pacific College, OR | |
| Chicagoland College Athletic Conference | Dr. Arvid Johnson | University of St. Francis, IL | |
| Crossroads League | Mr. Dan Elsener | Marian University, IN | |
| Frontier Conference | Dr. Don Blackketter | Montana Tech of the University of Montana, MT | |
| Golden State Athletic Conference | Dr. John Derry | Hope International University, CA | |
| Great Plains Athletic Conference | Dr. Amy Novak | Dakota Wesleyan University, SD | |
| Gulf Coast Athletic Conference | Dr. Rod Smothers | Philander Smith College, AR | |
| Heart of America Athletic Conference | Dr. Roger Drake | Central Methodist University, MO | |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Dr. Kevin Eichner | Ottawa University, KS | |
| Mid-South Conference | Dr. Larry Cockrum | University of the Cumberlands, KY | |
| North Star Athletic Association | Dr. Mary Hawkins | Bellevue University, NE | |
| Red River Athletic Conference | Dr. Lester Newman | Jarvis Christian College, TX | |
| River States Conference | Dr. Ray Wallace | Indiana University Southeast, IN | |
| Sooner Athletic Conference | Dr. Chip Pollard | John Brown University, AR | |
| Southern States Athletic Conference | Dr. Tommy King | William Carey University, MS | |
| The Sun Conference | Dr. Al Panu | University of South Carolina Beaufort, SC | |
| Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference | Dr. Curt Gielow | Concordia University, MI | |