ROCK HILL, SC —Winthrop Director of Athletics, Dr. Ken Halpin, announced Wednesday the hiring of Dr. Renae Myles as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations, Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Woman Administrator. She will begin her duties on October 3.
“I am thrilled to have someone with Dr. Myles’ experience joining our team,” said Halpin. “Renae will serve as second in command for Athletics, and her administrative and educational experiences will allow her to have an immediate impact on the operations and functions of our department. She will also play an integral role in the development and growth of our students, coaches, and staff. Furthermore, I am grateful for the support of President Mahony and the university’s senior leadership team. It is this support that allows Winthrop to attract talented professionals like Renae.”
Dr. Myles has over 19 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics. She previously served at the University of Connecticut, University of Pittsburgh, San Jose State, Delaware State, Southwest Baptist University, and Alabama A&M University. She is a native of Clarksdale, Mississippi and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1997 where she also competed in track and field. She received her M.Ed. in Sports Administration in 2000 from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Pittsburgh in 2005.
“I am elated to be working alongside such genuine and thoughtful leaders as President Mahony and Dr. Halpin,” said Myles. “I am grateful to both of them for this awesome opportunity. Ken has a unique vision for Winthrop Athletics. I understand it and I believe in it. My job is to help make his vision a reality and I am ready to get to work.”
Myles will handle the day-to-day operation of the athletic department with direct oversight of the department budget, finance operations, human resources, facilities, Athletic Training and Strength & Conditioning. She will also serve as sport administrator for multiple sports. As the Senior Woman Administrator, she will help the department maintain compliance with Title IX and assist with the gender equity and diversity initiatives.
Myles is an active leader on the national scene. She was recently a member of the NCAA Committee on Academics and served on the Data Review Subcommittee. She is on the Board of Directors of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) and is the chair of the Symposium Committee. Myles is a regular presenter at MOAA and the College Athletics Business Management Association (CABMA) at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conventions. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) and a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Myles completed the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males & Females and the NACWAA Mentoring Institute in 2009, NACDA Mentoring Institute (2009 and 2014), Sport Management Institute (2011), the 1A Athletic Directors’ Association Institute (2011, 2012, 2013), Executive PREP Advisory Program (2012), Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (2012 and 2013) and Leadership Huntsville (2015). Dr. Myles is also a certified facilitator of True Colors Personal Success Assessments.