The University of Missouri-Kansas City pared its nationwide search for a new athletic director to two candidates.
The candidates are Tim Hall, associate athletics director in charge of development at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio; and Todd Reeser, assistant athletics director and executive director of the Golden Knights Club for the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Fla.
One common variable on each candidate's résumé was a superior understanding of the need to raise funds in the course of building a strong athletic department.
Reeser leads the fundraising program for the UCF Athletics Association, Inc., and in doing so sparked an effort that increased annual support by 47 percent, which in turn included a 35 percent upswing in new donors.
The AAD also has oversight with regard to all Golden Knights Club direct mail, telephone solicitation, and any other area that might generate revenue for the athletic department at UCF.
Previous stops for Reeser as part of his career path have been close to the UMKC area in the Missouri Valley Conference. He served as assistant athletics director for development and director of Major Gifts while at Illinois State University from 1997 to 2005. He served as director of athletics development and later assistant athletics director at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, from 1988 to November 1997.
Reeser holds a Bachelor of Science in General Finance from Illinois State University and acquired a Master of Science in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla.
Hall's accomplishments, as outlined on his résumé, include his organization and development of the National Athletic Development Council (NADC), a leadership group for intercollegiate athletics. He also worked closely with other Kent State administrators to set in place a $25 million capital campaign for its intercollegiate athletic program.
Prior to his appointment at Kent State, Hall served as director of major gifts and special projects, and before that collegiate director of development, at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky., from 2000-2003.
Hall also served in assistant director positions at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Ill., and Youngstown State University in Youngtown, Ohio.
UMKC Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Rick Anderson, said each candidate is expected to visit campus with their wives for individual meetings with senior administrators starting last Friday and concluding Monday, Feb. 4.
dstroud@unews.com
