Be sure to attend Rotary this week and hear what is going on with University of Northern Iowa Athletics! David Harris will be presenting!
During his short time at UNI, Harris has built a culture of success in the field of play, in the classroom and in the community. He has also distinguished himself as a leader in the Missouri Valley Conference and the NCAA.
In the spring of 2019, Harris was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council. The 40-member council is responsible for the decision-making for NCAA Division I and is made up of athletic directors, athletic administrators, senior women administrators, faculty athletic representatives and student-athletes. As part of his responsibilities, he was appointed to act as the council rep for the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
Under Harris’ leadership, in the fall of 2018 UNI Athletics announced Panthers Rising, a strategic plan to achieve unprecedented success in academics, competition and all of its endeavors.
In the spring of 2019, Harris was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council. The 40-member council is responsible for the decision-making for NCAA Division I and is made up of athletic directors, athletic administrators, senior women administrators, faculty athletic representatives and student-athletes. As part of his responsibilities, he was appointed to act as the council rep for the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
Under Harris’ leadership, in the fall of 2018 UNI Athletics announced Panthers Rising, a strategic plan to achieve unprecedented success in academics, competition and all of its endeavors.
Prior to taking over at UNI, Harris served as senior associate athletic director at Iowa State University. In that role, Harris was the sport administrator for football, men's basketball and wrestling and also had oversight responsibilities for student-athlete development, compliance, athletic training, and strength and conditioning. Harris assumed his new duties at UNI on March 28, 2016.
Prior to Iowa State, Harris worked in the athletics department at the University of Wisconsin as the associate athletic director – student services from 2002 until 2006. His primary responsibility focused on academics and academic services for more than 800 student-athletes. He also worked at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, where two promotions lifted him to the senior staff in 2002. Harris, a native of Baton Rouge, La., earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993 and an MBA in 1995 from the University of Mississippi.
Harris is deeply immersed in NCAA committee work and volunteerism. He has participated in the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association – Fellows Program since 2011. He has also participated in the NACDA Mentoring Institute, NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference, NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Conference. He earned the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advancing One Community Award for his commitment to helping establish a multicultural community in Ames.
He is on the Board of Directors for the Cedar Valley United Way and the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa.
He and his wife, Felicia, have a daughter, Kaitlyn, and a son, Wesley. The family resides in Cedar Falls.
Prior to Iowa State, Harris worked in the athletics department at the University of Wisconsin as the associate athletic director – student services from 2002 until 2006. His primary responsibility focused on academics and academic services for more than 800 student-athletes. He also worked at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, where two promotions lifted him to the senior staff in 2002. Harris, a native of Baton Rouge, La., earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993 and an MBA in 1995 from the University of Mississippi.
Harris is deeply immersed in NCAA committee work and volunteerism. He has participated in the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association – Fellows Program since 2011. He has also participated in the NACDA Mentoring Institute, NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference, NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Conference. He earned the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advancing One Community Award for his commitment to helping establish a multicultural community in Ames.
He is on the Board of Directors for the Cedar Valley United Way and the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa.
He and his wife, Felicia, have a daughter, Kaitlyn, and a son, Wesley. The family resides in Cedar Falls.