Amanda Braun will be the new athletic director for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Braun, Executive Senior Associate Director of Athletics at Northeastern University in Boston, is a Wisconsin native who previously served in athletic administration positions at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
"The strength of Amanda's accomplishments and her well-rounded experiences definitely stood out among the high-quality candidates seeking this position," said UWM Chancellor Michael R. Lovell.
"I am pleased that she will be a key member of my executive staff and will provide valuable insight as we position UWM for continued growth. I am confident she will be an excellent leader and work well with our Panther coaches, student-athletes and community."
Braun will succeed current UWM Athletic Director Andy Geiger, who joined UWM in May 2012. Geiger – a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame whose programs achieved great success at Ohio State, Stanford and other universities – came to UWM on a 13-month contract to help the university through a transitional period. Geiger has agreed to stay on at UWM once Braun has arrived to support the upcoming university-wide fund-raising campaign.
"Amanda Braun is the future of UWM Athletics," said Geiger. "I've worked with many outstanding athletic administrators and have been extremely impressed with Amanda. She's ready to lead an NCAA Division I program, and I look forward to working with her."
At Northeastern University, Braun has served as the top administrator to the director of athletics since 2008 and directly supervises four sports programs including men's and women's basketball.
She supervises the Northeastern business office staff and oversees its $10 million annual operating budget and $10 million annual athletic scholarships budget. She also is involved in fund-raising, athletic capital projects and student-athlete academic compliance at Northeastern. She joined Northwestern as its Associate Director of Athletics in 2006.
Northeastern University fields 18 NCAA Division I teams and is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.
"I would like to first express my gratitude to Chancellor Lovell and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Michael Laliberte for this incredible opportunity," said Braun.
"Their leadership of UWM was a strong factor in my interest in this position, and it is clear they are positioning the university for success now and into the future. I look forward to working with each of them to build upon a tremendous foundation of athletics success and to ensure that we align the priorities of the athletics department with the mission and values of the university. I am thrilled to be returning to my home state, partnering with the Milwaukee community, and working with Panther coaches, staff and student-athletes."
Braun was a member of the UW-Green Bay Athletic Department for more than six years. She rose to the position of associate director of athletics prior to leaving for Northeastern.
Braun will begin her new duties at UW-Milwaukee on May 1.
