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Past Lester Jordan Award Recipients
Susan Fumagalli Mahoney (Gettysburg College) – Lester Jordan Award
by Michael MacEachern, Young Harris College Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Communications
Susan Fumagalli Mahoney with husband Mike Mahoney
Gettysburg College’s Associate Director of Athletics
Susan Fumagalli Mahoney will be aptly honored as the 2018 Lester Jordan Award recipient this June during the CoSIDA Convention in National Harbor, Maryland.
The Lester Jordan Award is presented to an individual for exemplary service to the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America® program and for the promotion of the ideals of being a student-athlete.
“I am overwhelmed with many emotions on being this year’s recipient of the prestigious Lester Jordan Award,” said Fumagalli. “I am extremely proud to join the likes of previous award winners – Bernie Cafarelli, Dick Lipe, Mark Beckenbach, Dave Wrath and many others – who have significantly enhanced my career through our work on the Academic All-America® program. Like so many others, we all have a deeply rooted passion for the committee and to the many student-athletes who are recognized each year. It is truly one of the most significant honors of my career.“
Fumagalli has been a member of CoSIDA’s Academic All-America® committee since 1995, serving as a national coordinator from 1999-2008 and most recently holding the post of director for awards.
“Susan has filled a variety of roles during her time on the Academic All-America® committee, ranging from district coordinator to national coordinator to her most recent role, overseeing the internal process and creating files to send awards to hundreds of student-athletes each year,” said committee chairman Mark Beckenbach. “No matter what she has been asked to do, her high levels of professionalism, attention to detail, and passion for the Academic All-America® program have always been apparent.
“Susan has been an outstanding representative of CoSIDA and the Academic All-America® program for nearly a quarter of a century,” added Beckenbach. “We on the committee have been fortunate to work with Susan, and wish her all the best.”
She was exposed to the program for the first time as a student-athlete/student-worker at St. Michael’s College and then worked on a number of successful Academic All-America® nominations while serving as a sports information intern at Bucknell University.
“I quickly learned how to build a successful nomination from one of the best: Brad Tufts, a long-time member of the committee and previous Lester Jordan Award winner,“ said Fumagalli. “I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved with an impact program in CoSIDA, and was given the chance as a district coordinator in 1995.
“For me, working in higher education and intercollegiate athletics has always been about mentoring student-athletes and helping them develop as young adults,” Fumagalli added. “Working with the Academic All-America® program all these years has played an integral part in that education process. I know how much my mentors have meant to me over the years and being able to give back throughout my career by having an impact on a young person’s life has always been meaningful to me.”
Fumagalli has been a driving force behind the success of Gettysburg athletics since arriving at the institution in 2004. She administers the department's financial budget, files all NCAA/conference championship budgets and NCAA gender equity and EADA reports, and serves as the liaison to other offices on campus. Fumagalli manages the awards program and promotes individuals for national awards, including NCAA postgraduate scholarships. Since her arrival, five Bullets have been named postgraduate recipients.
Gettysburg has hosted two national championship events for women's lacrosse in the last eight years and Fumagalli has served as tournament director for each. She also served on the NCAA Women's Lacrosse National Championship Committee from 2008-12.
Prior to her current stint at Gettysburg, Fumagalli served as the Sports Information Director (1994-04), Coordinator of Women's Athletics (1996-04), and Assistant Director of Athletics for Administration and Communications (2000-04) at Widener University. She also worked as assistant sports information director at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1993-94 and was an intern in sports information at Bucknell in 1992-93.
A member of CoSIDA and the Women Leaders In College Sports (formerly NACWAA), Fumagalli also serves on the board of the Collegiate Women's Lacrosse Officiating Association as the NCAA Division III administrative representative and was named Vice President of the executive board in 2014.
A native of Barre, Vermont, Fumagalli graduated from St. Michael's with a degree in business administration in 1992 before earning a pair of master's degrees in business and information systems during her time at Widener.
After 23 years, Fumagalli continues to have great passion for the core values of the Academic All-America® program.
“It recognizes the hard work of the student-athletes — both academically and athletically,” said Fumagalli. “My role with the committee and in the profession has evolved a bit over the years but it will always be one of my greatest rewards, every time, telling a student-athlete (or coach) that they earned this prestigious honor.
“It never gets old! Also, the committee has so much longevity and we are all committed to its purpose, and serving the program, the membership, but especially the student-athletes.”