Dr. Thomas 'Les' Purce, president of The Evergreen State College, will chair the NAIA Council of Presidents beginning in 2013, the national office announced.
Evergreen's Les Purce Named Chair-Elect of NAIA COP
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Council of Presidents (COP) elected Dr. Les Purce, president of The Evergreen State College (Wash.), chair elect of the Association’s chief governing body. Dr. Purce will begin his term as Chair of the COP on January 1, 2013, following the service of current COP chair Dr. Ted Brown, president at Martin Methodist College (Tenn.).
The COP has responsibility for all budgetary and fiscal matters, employment and supervision of the president/chief executive officer, and continuing review, evaluation and strengthening of academic standards. Dr. Purce is the chair of the COP Eligibility Center committee and sits on the Audit Review committee.
Outside the COP, Dr. Purce has served as president of The Evergreen State College, a nationally recognized, public liberal arts college, since July 1, 2000. Evergreen, a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, competes in men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, soccer, track and field and volleyball.
Prior to his tenure at Evergreen, Dr. Purce served as vice president of extended university affairs and dean of extended academic programs at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. He had been with WSU since 1995.
Dr. Purce holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Master of Arts degree in Education, and a Doctor of Counselor Education from Idaho State University. He also attended Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.
COP will meet next at the NAIA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo., April 15-19, 2011. To learn more visit www.NAIA.org.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The Association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.
Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the Association’s innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves.