Eastern Kentucky University has filled two open positions among its athletics administration team, Director of Athletics Stephen Lochmueller announced today. James Downer will serve as senior associate athletics director while longtime EKU employee Mark Howard was chosen as the associate athletics director.
Downer joined Presbyterian College as associate director of athletics in August of 2012 and was promoted to senior associate athletics director for internal operations in 2015. During his tenure at PC, he served as the sport administrator for baseball, men’s golf, men’s soccer and cross country while providing supervision of several areas of the athletic department – including facilities, game operations, football scheduling, athletic scholarship management, departmental budget oversight, the annual NCAA Academic Progress Report and football compliance. In addition, Downer spearheaded various facility enhancement projects, orchestrated departmental agreements with Adidas, Learfield Sports, Advanced Online, Original Retro Brand and served as tournament director for various Big South Conference championships hosted by Presbyterian.
“James brings extensive experience both from the collegiate and the professional positions he previously held,” Lochmueller said. “His leadership positions in compliance, facilities, media relations and game operations will add to our talent level inside the athletics department. As senior associate athletics director, he will work closely with me to lead our department. I welcome James, Erin and their sons Max and Caden to the Colonel family.”
Downer arrived at PC following a year as assistant athletics director for compliance at Nicholls State University, where he was responsible for the department’s NCAA compliance efforts. He served as the assistant athletics director at Oklahoma City University from 2008 until 2011, where he assisted in all athletics operations including compliance, game operations, human resources, revenue generation, annual giving and facility oversight. Downer began his career as the assistant director of compliance and media relations at the University of Central Oklahoma from 2005 to 2008.
Downer completed several internships in both college and professional sports, including time with the Louisville Bats and the University of Louisville compliance office. The Springfield, Illinois native graduated from Millsaps College in 2002 where he played baseball before studying sport administration as a post-baccalaureate student at the University of Louisville. He later earned a master’s degree in adult and higher education with a concentration in intercollegiate athletics administration from the University of Oklahoma in 2006.
Howard has worked at EKU in a variety of capacities since 2004. He served one year in the role of campus recreation facility coordinator before spending three years (2005-2008) as the assistant director of campus recreation. From May 2008 to March 2015, Howard was the associate director for campus recreation, facility operations. Since 2015, Howard has served as EKU’s director of housing operations. In addition, he has also served as a part-time faculty member in the department of exercise and sport science since 2012.
“The wealth of experience and institutional knowledge that Mark brings to the athletics department is a tremendous addition to our team,” said Lochmueller. “His passion, involvement with facilities, game operations experience and business operations oversight will bring added strength to our existing esteemed team. I welcome Mark, Erin and Isaiah to the Colonel family.”
In the role of director of housing operations, Howard was responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive university housing operation for 5,000 residents and 14 resident halls with over 1.5 million square feet. He also provided leadership, direction and professional development for a team of nine operations professionals, 16 residence life professionals, and 200 part-time and student employees.
Howard is no stranger to EKUSports. Since 2010, he has fulfilled a variety of game operations roles during Colonel basketball and football games. As part of EKU’s President’s Leadership in Action Academy, Howard interned with the deputy director of athletics and the senior associate athletics director during the 2015-16 academic year. He assisted with facility operations, capital improvement and game operations.
As associate director of campus recreation, Howard was responsible for the supervision and management of a number of facilities including the Fitness & Wellness Center and directly accountable for $1.2 million of the departmental operating budget.
Howard spent two years working in the campus recreation and athletics departments at the University of Tennessee. From August 2002 to January 2004, he served as an athletic development scholarship fund representative, maintaining donor databases and managing luxury boxes during athletic events.
Howard earned a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration in 2002 at Tennessee Tech University where he was a member of the golf team. He completed a master’s of science degree in sports studies at the University of Tennessee in 2004.
— www.EKUSports.com —
Kevin Britton
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications & Branding
