Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Trachte named chair of MAC Executive Committee

Lycoming College President Kent C. Trachte
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming College President Kent C. Trachte, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as the chair of the Middle Atlantic Conference’s Presidents’ Council Executive Committee for a two-year term beginning in 2016-17, MAC Executive Director Ken Andrews announced on Tuesday, May 10.

During his term, Trachte will work with three other presidents on the conference’s executive board, where he will set the agenda and serve as chair of the conference’s three annual presidents’ meetings. He will also do the performance review for the executive director and help mediate any intra-conference disputes.

Two of the biggest initiatives that Trachte will oversee during his time as chair will include the implementation of the conference’s current strategic plan and help identify a new MAC brand. Trachte served on a committee to develop the conference’s strategic plan, which was ratified by the conference’s presidents in 2015.


“Kent’s background in athletics at Franklin & Marshall, his involvement with the MAC’s strategic planning process and his past two years on the executive committee has given him a lot of background in the Middle Atlantic Conference and Division III athletics,” MAC Executive Director Ken Andrews said. “His passion for collegiate athletics is evident and I am confident he will lead us successfully for the next two years.”

President Trachte, a collegiate golfer at Dartmouth College, is set to begin his fourth year as president of Lycoming College, where he has helped complete a comprehensive strategic plan for the college, oversaw the construction of the 30,000 square foot Lynn Science Center which opened in 2015 as well as the renovation of three residence halls. The college also opened the Art Gallery on West Fourth Street in downtown Williamsport and the school launched a first-generation college initiative by forming partnerships with leading national charter schools and access programs.

Trachte’s impact has also been greatly felt in Lycoming’s athletics departments, as he has promoted all full-time coaches in the department to 12-month positions from 10-month positions. The department has added five new full-time positions (softball head coach, three assistant coaches and an additional athletic trainer) and greatly invested in part-time assistant coaches. The athletic communications department also significantly expanded, offering 96 live-streamed events and a revamped in-game statistical package for viewers.

President Trachte also serves as a member of the following boards and committees: Project Bald Eagle, the Williamsport-Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce; the Lycoming County Hospitals Board at Susquehanna Health; the Lycoming County United Way; the East Third Street Gateway Commission; and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.

Founded on December 11, 1912, the Middle Atlantic Conferences, commonly known as the MAC, is one of the oldest intercollegiate athletics associations in the United States. The first conference competition occurred on May 20, 1913 with a track & field meet at Lafayette College. Since then, 59 institutions have competed in 25 sports and won 39 NCAA team championships.

The MAC has evolved into the only NCAA umbrella organization of three conferences – MAC Commonwealth, MAC Freedom, and Middle Atlantic. Currently 17 Division III schools, spanning four states, have about 6700 student-athletes competing in 24 sports for 37 conference championships. Member schools are: Albright College, Alvernia University, Arcadia University, Delaware Valley University, DeSales University, Eastern University, Fairleigh Dickinson University - The College at Florham, Hood College, King’s College, Lebanon Valley College, Lycoming College, Manhattanville College, Messiah College, Misericordia University, Stevenson University, Widener University, and Wilkes University.

Lycoming College is a four-year, residential liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. Its rigorous academic program, vibrant residential community and supportive faculty foster successful student outcomes. Lycoming offers 36 academic majors and is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1812 and located near the banks of the Susquehanna River in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation. For more information, visit www.lycoming.edu.