Dr. Amy Novak Named New Chair of NAIA Council of Presidents

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Amy Novak, St. Ambrose University president, has been elected as the new chair for the NAIA's Council of Presidents (COP), effective July 1.

Novak has been the president of St. Ambrose since August 2021 and served on the NAIA's COP Board for seven years. During that time, she served as an initial member of the Return on Athletics^® Advisory Board and has been on the COP Executive Committee for five years.

"As a COP member, Amy has provided thoughtful insight and guidance to the NAIA from day one," said NAIA President Jim Carr. "With her vast knowledge of higher education and unique ability to bring people together, I have no doubt she will be an excellent leader for our board."

Prior to joining St. Ambrose, Dr. Novak was the president of Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) in Mitchell, South Dakota from 2013-2021. She also served as DWU's provost and the vice president of enrollment management. During her tenure as president, DWU experienced record enrollment growth, updated the campus' infrastructure, and launched a variety of innovative academic programs and initiatives.

The COP is composed of 25 institutional presidents who represent the 21 NAIA conferences, plus four at-large members. As part of the NAIA's shared governance model, the COP is designated as a governing body and has authority over membership, all fiscal matters, and conference operations.

ABOUT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS (NAIA) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 83,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $1.3 billion in scholarships and compete in 28 national championships. www.naia.org | @NAIA