NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr to be Enshrined in Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) President and CEO Jim Carr will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at the Hall’s Kansas City Enshrinement, presented by Great Southern Bank, Nov. 23 at the InterContinental Hotel on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

“Being inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor, and having the ceremony in Kansas City makes it even more special, as it has been home to the NAIA National Office for many years,” Carr said. “This recognition is really a tribute to the incredible student-athletes, administrators, and partners who I’ve had the privilege to work alongside, and I’m humbled to share this moment with them.”

The NAIA has been in great hands for the past 27 years.

Carr joined the NAIA in July 1998 as Managing Director and General Counsel and, in 2000, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, while retaining the title of General Counsel. In September 2006, Carr became the seventh President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAIA. 

During his tenure, Jim has led the organization through significant growth and innovation. A few notable new initiatives are Champions of Character®, the NAIA Eligibility Center, the National Association of Collegiate Esports, and Return on Athletics®.

The NAIA offers 30 championship sports to more than 87,000 student-athletes, including the men’s basketball national championship that started in Kansas City in 1937 and remains there today. Carr has served or currently serves on many boards, including USA Basketball, USOPC, Kansas City Life, Police Athletic League of Kansas City, Missouri Bank and Trust, NAIA Champions of Character Foundation, National Association of Collegiate Esports, and Millsaps Board of Visitors.

Carr is originally from Mississippi, where he led Gulfport High School to a state basketball championship before going on to a distinguished career at Millsaps College. He is an inductee of both halls of fame of his alma maters.