Sara Eisenhauer Hired as UMAC Assistant Commissioner
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) has hired Sara Eisenhauer as its Assistant Commissioner. The hire was announced on Tuesday by Commissioner Corey Borchardt. “The UMAC is excited to have Sara join our conference office staff. Sara’s skill set and expertise will be a tremendous asset to our league. I am confident she will help the UMAC make significant strides in advancing the identity and branding of our conference.” Eisenhauer was selected in a national search process that produced over 75 applicants. Borchardt added, “The hiring committee was impressed with Sara’s strong knowledge and understanding of NCAA Division III and we are pleased to be adding an individual to the league office who as previous experience in a NCAA Division III conference office setting.”
Eisenhauer joins the UMAC after most recently serving as the Sports Information Director at St. Catherine University (Minn.), a position she held since starting at the institution in 2012. In serving as St. Catherine’s first-ever full-time SID, Sara oversaw all written, digital and creative content for the institution’s athletics website, social media outlets and other marketing materials as well as maintained statistics, records, and promoted each of the 12 varsity sports sponsored by the institution.
“I am so grateful that Corey Borchardt and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference have selected me to serve as the next Assistant Commissioner of one of the top Division III conferences in the Midwest. Looking forward, I am excited to begin working with the UMAC membership to strengthen the branding and marketing efforts both on the conference and campus levels using my experience in and passion for Division III athletics administration.” Eisenhauer added “My interactions with UMAC members previously and during the search process have been very positive and I can’t wait to start collaborating with UMAC members to fulfill the vision of the conference.”
Prior to joining St. Catherine’s Athletics Department, Eisenhauer served one year as the Assistant to the Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Special Events at Macalester College and also spent one year working in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) office. While at Macalester, Eisenhauer enhanced communications and social media efforts for the department as well as assisted with event management, compliance and promotions. She also served as co-advisor of the Macalester Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and directed various leadership initiatives. During her time at the MIAC, Eisenhauer assisted with sports information, event and championships management, compliance and strategic planning. She also planned and organized the first-ever MIAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.
In April 2012, Eisenhauer received the Administrator of Tomorrow Award from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), an award presented to an undergraduate/graduate student, intern or volunteer who aspires to a career in intercollegiate athletics, and recognizes involvement and a leadership role on campus. Eisenhauer is a 2014 graduate of NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement. Outside of her professional career, Eisenhauer has also served as a volunteer on the Minnesota Coalition for Women in Athletic Leadership since 2011. She spent two years chairing the group that plans, organizes and executes the state's annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Sara was a key member of the planning committee for the first-ever Midwest Division III SID Convention held in August of 2015.
Eisenhauer graduated from Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in 2010 with Summa Cum Laude honors and a bachelor's degree in public relations and electronic publishing, as well as a minor in sport business. She was a three-year captain of the SMU women's hockey team and earned Academic All-MIAC honors in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Eisenhauer, who is a native of Kenosha, Wis., earned her master's degree in applied kinesiology for sport management from the University of Minnesota in 2014.
Eisenhauer’s primary duties with the UMAC will include oversight of the league’s sports information efforts, brand and identity development utilizing the conference’s website, social media outlets, and other digital platforms, assisting with the running of all 18 conference championships, and providing of other general support to the governance structure and member institutions. Eisenhauer will begin her time with the UMAC on Monday, February 8
th, 2016.
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The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is comprised of nine full members located in Minnesota and Wisconsin and five associate members for football only located in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Originally formed in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference, the league was renamed in 1983. The UMAC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. The conference provides its member institutions the opportunity to be recognized in the areas of academic excellence and athletic competitiveness. The UMAC awards conference championships in 18 sports.