Gerry Helper, ’79, and Mary Jane Telford, ’75, have been named co-chairs of St. Bonaventure University’s search committee to find a new director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president, announced the committee members today.

Helper is a retired senior vice president with the NHL’s Nashville Predators and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. He is also chair of the Board’s Athletics Committee.

Telford, a member of the Bonaventure community for more than 40 years, worked in the Advancement and Admissions offices after a Hall of Fame career as the coach of the SBU women’s basketball team.

Rounding out the committee are:

• Jim Crowley, women’s basketball coach
• Dr. Matrecia James, dean of the School of Business
• Dick Penna, ’68, trustee and partner at Van Ness Feldman, LLP
• Dr. Mike Pressimone, vice president for Advancement
• Fr. Larry Ford, O.F.M., trustee and secretary of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Dr. Tracy Schrems, Faculty Athletics Representative and assistant professor of adolescence education
• Kyle Leslie, director of Talent Acquisition, HRIS & Employee Services

“Finding the best-fit athletics director is incredibly important for St. Bonaventure and I’m confident we have the right team to lead this search,” Gingerich said.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).