General 5/12/2017 1:56:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Daemen Athletics Director Earns Pair Of Professional Appointments

AMHERST, N.Y. - Bridget Niland, director of athletics and special assistant to the president at Daemen College, has recently earned two professional appointments. She has been named chairperson of the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission (BNSC), and a member of the NCAA Division II Infractions Appeals Committee.

"Community engagement is at the core of every NCAA Division II institution. I'm honored to be a part of these two organizations, and excited about what the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission can do for Western New York," Niland said.

Niland's elevation to chairperson of the BNSC comes after a two-year stint on the organization's advisory council, a group comprised of fellow athletics directors, facility and event directors and business professionals which she'll now oversee. The advisory council is charged with helping to carry out the mission of the BNSC which is to promote the region as a premier sports tourism destination.

Niland becomes the first female to sit as the organization's chairperson. She succeeds C. Douglas Hartmeyer, director of public affairs for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. Prior to Hartmeyer, Buffalo Bisons front office executive Jonathan Dandes held the chairperson post.

The BNSC is a branch of Visit Buffalo Niagara, the region's leading travel and tourism bureau. Niland was appointed to Visit Buffalo Niagara's Board of Directors in March of 2016.

"The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission is made up of a great group of individuals who are dedicated to the promotion of this region, and specifically how sports can provide a boost to our local economy. Working with the BNSC staff in the upcoming years will allow us to increase sports tourism in Western New York and provide more monies to invest in facilities and events," Niland said.

Niland's term with the NCAA Division II Infractions Appeals Committee will begin September 1, 2017 and it runs through August 31, 2020. The committee, comprised of five members, meets as needed to hear appeals filed on behalf of institutions or individuals that have had penalties levied against them as the result of a major violation found by the Committee on Infractions.

Niland's seat on the Infractions Appeals Committee aligns with her background which includes time spent in the University at Buffalo's (UB) athletics compliance office and at the NCAA itself as the organization's associate director of academic and membership affairs. Her experience as a trial attorney with the Department of Justice also figures to lend itself to her work on this committee.

"These prestigious appointments speak to Bridget's dedication and rising prominence as a national and regional leader in college athletics," said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. "Her extensive expertise, knowledge, and insight will be valuable to furthering the efforts of both organizations."

A member of the Daemen faculty since 2006, Niland accepted the position of athletics director in July of 2014. Since then, she has overseen the establishment of Daemen as Western New York's only NCAA Division II athletics program. Niland guided the college through the final stages of its NCAA membership transition, a four-year initiative which was completed in July of 2015. She's also expanded Daemen Athletics' fundraising footprint, growing external revenue by over 600 percent, and played an integral role in the addition of women's bowling, women's triathlon and men's volleyball teams to bring the total number of varsity sports sponsored by the college to 17.

Student-athletes continue to flourish, both athletically and academically, under Niland's leadership. The women's volleyball program won its first East Coast Conference regular season championship last fall, while earning the right to host both the conference and NCAA Division II East Regional tournaments at Lumsden Gymnasium. Dual-sport start Mackenzie Donahue has earned two national championship bids in the last two years, one for cross country and one for indoor track and field. The men's basketball program has consistently performed at or near the top of the East Coast Conference, qualifying for conference tournament play in each of the last two seasons, including a run to the finals in 2016.

Academically, Daemen student-athletes traditionally perform and graduate at higher rates than the general student body. The overall grade-point-average for the nearly 200 total student-athletes was 3.12 during the Fall 2016 semester, marking the seventh consecutive semester over 3.00, and 79 student-athletes were named to the Dean's List.

In each of the last two years, Niland has been named to the Power 100 Women, a ranking of the most influential women in Western New York published by Buffalo Business First. In 2016, Niland moved up 12 spots to No. 77. She was also honored as the 2016 recipient of the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award.

In addition to her two most recent appointments and her spot on the Visit Buffalo Niagara Board of Directors, Niland is a past member of the Independent Health YMCA Board of Directors, and she currently serves on the Miracle League of Western New York Board of Directors and the Western New York Girls in Sport Strategic Planning Committee.

A native of Williamsville, Niland resides in Snyder with her husband, Brian Gwitt, and their five children.

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