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The announcement was made by Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life. Kutler will begin his duties at Ithaca on June 30.
"I'm very excited to announce Ken's appointment and to welcome him to Ithaca," said McAree. "His integrity and dedication to the field and his 25 years of experience as a director of athletics at two different institutions make him an excellent choice for the position."
"We were very pleased with both the depth and the quality of the pool of applicants for this position," said David Spano, director of Ithaca College's Counseling Center and the chair of the search committee. "Ken emerged as an outstanding candidate based on his experience and accomplishments."
Kutler comes to Ithaca after serving as director of athletics at two other Division III institutions: Frostburg State University (1978 to 1986) and Hartwick College (1986 to present). At Hartwick, he oversees a 24-sport intercollegiate athletic program (including two that compete at the Division I level). He is a past president of the Empire 8 athletic conference and has spent 10 years as women's soccer coach (1986 to 1993 and 2001 to present), leading the Hawks to five NCAA playoff appearances. He is a 1964 graduate of East Stroudsburg University, where he was an all-region soccer player. Kutler holds a master's degree in education from Temple University and a doctorate in education from West Virginia.
"I'm excited and very pleased to be coming to Ithaca," said Kutler. "My family and I are looking forward to this move and I am looking forward professionally to this new opportunity. My experiences with the people there, through being in the same conference, were always very positive. I feel it's a good fit and I'm really looking forward to new and exciting challenges."
Kutler replaces Kristen Ford, who has directed Ithaca's intercollegiate athletics program since August 1, 1999; Ford now serves as director of special campaigns, working within the Office of Institutional Advancement to oversee fund-raising efforts for an athletics field house.
Ithaca's intercollegiate athletics program has been one of the most successful NCAA Division III programs in the nation.
Ithaca sponsors 25 intercollegiate sports, with over 700 student-athletes participating; the Bombers have won team or individual national championships in 12 sports. Last year Ithaca finished second in the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Cup, which measures the overall excellence of an athletics program.
The school's extensive recreational sports program features over 800 participants in club sports, over 2,000 participants in intramural sports and 160,000 participant uses of the fitness center.
Photo of Ken Kutler, courtesy of Hartwick College Sports Information
Contributed by Michael Warwick
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20030418101256103