Carolyn Schlie Femovich
Executive Director

Carolyn Schlie Femovich Executive Director

In selecting Carolyn Schlie Femovich as its fourth Executive Director, the Patriot League Council of Presidents continued its adherence to equity and innovation in its approach to intercollegiate athletics. Femovich brought 17 years experience at the NCAA Division I level to the Patriot League when she was appointed Executive Director in July of 1999. She is one of six women to hold the top post of a combined men and women's conference at the NCAA Division I level.

Throughout her tenure at the Patriot League, Femovich has focused on key areas including the development of a comprehensive multimedia package, expansion of League membership, improvement of League competitiveness and quality of services to the membership. Most recently, the League announced the initiation of the Patriot League Leadership Academy, a ground-breaking membership-wide initiative to develop scholar-athletes into world-class leaders through systematic and cutting-edge leadership development programming.

Under her direction, Patriot League sports of football, basketball and lacrosse have gained increased television exposure through contracts with national outlets. Through the League's broadband initiative, more than 100 men and women's basketball games are web streamed live annually. Additionally, selected Patriot League Olympic sports have gained additional visibility as a part of the League's multi-media packages with various television entities and the streaming of League Championships on Patriot League All-Access.

In 2001 Femovich orchestrated the addition of American University as a full member and Georgetown as an associate member in football, which has helped to strengthen and stabilize the membership. She has also increased service to the membership with improvements in championship administration, League governance and a focus on the student-athlete experience. During her time with the Patriot League, emphasis has been placed on the competitiveness of its men and women's basketball programs, as well as other key sports that present unique opportunities for the League.

Femovich has served in national leadership positions with the NCAA as chair of the Division I Championship/Competition Cabinet and as the League representative on the NCAA Management Council. She was also chairperson of the prestigious Collegiate Women's Sports Award Program, where she continues to serve as a board member. Currently, she is a board member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).

Prior to her appointment as Executive Director, Femovich served in a leadership role in the administration of a highly-successful Ivy League program at the University of Pennsylvania.

During her tenure as Senior Associate Athletics Director (1986-99) and Associate Athletics Director (1982-85) at the University of Pennsylvania, her responsibilities included administration of intercollegiate sports and recreation programs, strategic planning and facilities development, human resource management and event planning. In her initial years with the Quakers, Femovich supervised 15 intercollegiate programs, coaching staffs and athletics facilities. She also served as Penn's Interim Director of Athletics in 1985.

Femovich represented the University in a variety of external capacities with the Ivy League and NCAA, and on a number of sports committees and boards.

Femovich's career in intercollegiate athletics began in 1974 at Indiana University as a graduate teaching assistant. In 1975, she moved to Gettysburg College as head coach of women's basketball, women's tennis, assistant professor of health and physical education and the Coordinator of Women's Athletics.

Included in the impressive list of regional and national committees Femovich has served on are the NCAA Basketball Marketing Sub-Committee, the NCAA Division I Business/Finance Cabinet and the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee, arguably the most prestigious women's sport committee in the NCAA.

She played a primary role in bringing the 2000 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four to Philadelphia and is a member of the executive board of the Philadelphia Sports Congress. She also held the office of President of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1996, which now includes more than 300 member institutions.

Femovich is a graduate of Valparaiso University and received a master of science degree from Indiana University. Femovich and her husband Robert reside in Hellertown, Pa.