Athletics, Academic: Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics Announces Staff Promotions

LAFAYETTE ? Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Director of Athletics Scott Farmer announced on Thursday the promotion of three department members in advance of the 2016-17 academic year.
 
Farmer announced that Dr. Jessica Leger has been named Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA, Tom Burke was named Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance and Christy Alford was named Director of the Student-Athlete Academic Center.
 
All three promotions are subject to approval from the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors.
 
“During the past few years, these three individuals have grown tremendously in the profession and have all earned these promotions,” Farmer said. “They will all take on new responsibilities to help grow the department. They all have bright futures in intercollegiate athletics.”
 
Leger joined her alma mater as Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance in 2007 and added the title of Senior Woman Administrator in 2012. A former member of the Ragin’ Cajuns softball team, Leger earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2003, her Master of Education degree in education administration with a supervision concentration from the University in May 2006. She received her Ph.D. in higher education administration in 2010 from LSU.
 
“Jessica is an extremely organized individual that has proven to be able to accomplish tasks and see the big picture of college athletics,” Farmer said. “She will be invaluable as she takes some of the day-to-day operations of the department off of me.”
 
Burke joined the UL Athletic Department in 2009 as Compliance Coordinator before being promoted to Director of Compliance in 2012. A native of Newberry, S.C., Burke earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Newberry College in 2007 and later received his Master’s Degree from Troy University in May 2009.
 
“By giving Jessica more duties in the day-to-day operation, that means Tom will assume more duties in the day-to-day operation of the Compliance Office,” Farmer said. “In the recent years, he has proven to have a tremendous grasp of compliance and has been invaluable to us in the last couple of years.”
 
Alford, a native of Baton Rouge, has worked in higher education for over 15 years, specializing in Enrollment Management, Career Services and Academic Advising. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education before completing her Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Tennessee.
 
“Six years ago, when we finished the 2009-10 Academic Year, our combined GPA among student-athletes was the highest it had ever been (2.6),” Farmer said. “Six years later, our student-athletes posted a combined GPA of 3.0 ? so we have grown leaps and bounds, and that is because of the leadership of Christy. She has been a dedicated member of our staff and is one who is willing to adapt and work until the job gets done. Our academics are in great shape because of her efforts.”
 
 

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