Aug. 24, 2006

By John Pearson, KCAC Sports Information

 WICHITA, Kan. --  Mark H. Yoder has been appointed commissioner of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, according to conference search committee member Dr. Biff Green, president of Friends University (Kan.).

The new commissioner will be responsible for all aspects of KCAC operations.  The commissioner is conference spokesperson, the primary liaison between the KCAC and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and is conference secretary and treasurer.  He will conduct oversight of KCAC competition schedules, officials, compliance, marketing, and promotion.  The commissioner is an ex-officio member of all KCAC committees.

The commissioner reports to the KCAC Council of Presidents, and he works collaboratively with the KCAC Governing Council (consisting of the member institutional athletic directors and faculty athletic representatives), and with coaches of the member institutions.

The commissioner position was created to replace the position of supervisor of officials, which had been vacant several years when responsibility for game and match officials was supervised by the KCAC Governing Council. 

Yoder stated  "I am pleased to be a part of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference once again.  It is clearly a conference that believes in developing well-rounded student-athletes.  I recognize that the KCAC Commissioner position was not created because something was broken, but rather to increase support for the mission and activities of the conference.  I look forward to the challenge of helping the conference fine tune what they are already doing quite well." Yoder said.

The KCAC is comprised of ten private colleges and universities in the state:  Bethany College, Lindsborg;  Bethel College, North Newton;  Friends University, Wichita;  Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina; McPherson College, McPherson; Ottawa University, Ottawa; Southwestern College, Winfield; Sterling College, Sterling; Tabor College, Hillsboro; and University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth.   The conference sanctions and supervises 16 intercollegiate sports.

Mark H. Yoder

A native of Michigan, Mark Yoder holds the M.Ed. degree in sports administration from Wichita State University,  B.A. degree in physical education from Fresno Pacific College,  and an A.A. degree in liberal arts from Hesston College.  He was graduated from Three Rivers High School in Three Rivers, Michigan, in 1978.

Most recently he was a faculty member and coach at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California, where he taught physical education and was head coach of the men's basketball team.  He also was institutional representative for the NAIA Champions of Character program.

At Bethel College in Kansas from 1993-98 he was head men's basketball coach and assistant professor of health management.  At Hesston College 1986-93 he was head men's basketball coach, professor of physical education, interim athletic director, and student activities director.

After receiving the B.A. degree, for three years he was assistant men's basketball coach at Fresno Pacific College, and then for one year he taught and was assistant boys' basketball coach at Sanger High School in Sanger, California, before joining the faculty and staff at Hesston College in Kansas.

KCAC Search Committee

The search committee consisted of presidents Biff Green (Friends), Phil Kersetter (KWU), Ron Hovis (McPherson), faculty athletic representative Steve Rankin (Southwestern), and athletic director Diane Flickner (Bethel).