Jan 03, 2014 08:20 AM EST By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Karlton Creech has been named the new Director of Athletics (AD) at the University of Maine, effective February 10. Creech, 41, is currently the Senior Associate Director of Athletics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC).

"I am so pleased that Karlton will be joining the UMaine leadership team. He brings to us a remarkable record of athletics leadership and management at the UNC. His level of professionalism, coupled to his strong experience in fundraising and management, will no doubt move Black Bear Athletics to new levels of excellence and community engagement," Paul Ferguson, UMaine President said in a statement.

Prior to UNC senior associate director of athletics (the position he has been holding since 2012), Creech served as associate executive director for UNC's Educational Foundation Inc., (2004-12) and worked for the Student-Aid Association at North Carolina State University from 2001-04.

"I am thrilled to be named the next director of athletics at the University of Maine. It will truly be a privilege to serve the student-athletes, coaches and staff of UMaine Athletics," Creech, a native of Chapel Hill, said. "Staci (wife) and I are proud to be the newest members of the UMaine family, and we are eager to build strong relationships throughout the community."

Creech thanked the president for believing in his abilities to lead the athletic department. He hopes to build on the success established by his predecessors and the campus community to create a student-centered and community-engaged campus.

Creech's academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from North Carolina State University. He will be finishing a Master of Arts degree in management and leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., this year.

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