WINTHROP, Mass. – Former Regis student-athlete and Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Commissioner’s Council member Kristin Barrett has been appointed to the position of Assistant to the Commissioner of the GNAC, as announced by GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh.
Her hiring is supported through the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Grant, a program that provides funding for entry-level administrative positions at NCAA Division III schools and conference offices.
Barrett graduated co-valedictorian with a B.A. in marketing and communication and minors in business management and journalism and media studies from Regis in May of 2024, where she was a basketball student-athlete before transitioning to track & field during the spring of 2022. The Plymouth, Mass. native and Outstanding Student in Communications Award recipient earned one All-GNAC Athlete honor, three Academic All-GNAC honors, one College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honor, and was named Female Senior Scholar-Athlete her senior year.
As a senior captain, she experienced a second GNAC championship during the spring of 2024, with her first coming during the winter of the 2022-23, both under head coach Benjamin Colello.
True to the Division III philosophy of providing a well-rounded collegiate experience that involves a balance of rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and the opportunity to pursue the multitude of other co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities offered on Division III campuses, Barrett balanced her time commitment as a student-athlete with a number of professional development endeavors.
As Regis’ 2023-24 student-athlete representative on the GNAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Commissioner’s Council, Barrett attended the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. and served on the Convention and Legislation Committee. Barrett, a member of Regis’ institutional SAAC for three years, also served as SAAC Inclusive Excellence Representative during her senior year.
Alongside her athletic involvement, the 2024 recipient of the Student Affairs Leadership award served as student government association president, while simultaneously holding roles as a senior resident assistant, tour guide coordinator, and peer tutor. Barrett also played a significant role in relaunching her school’s newspaper, the Regis Herald.
As a member of the honor’s program, Barrett committed herself to service throughout her college career, completing over 300 volunteer hours during her four years through volunteering as a summer league girls varsity basketball coach for Sandwich High School, assisting her local parish during the pandemic, and serving the Mustard Seed Community of Blessed Assurance in Montego Bay, Jamaica through Regis’ service immersion program.
Additionally, she completed three internships during her undergraduate, including two for WATD 95.9 FM Radio in Marshfield, Mass., where she worked alongside morning show host, Rob Hakala, in assisting with the morning show. Barrett also gained valuable experience as a Regis College Advancement Communications and Donor Relations intern where she assisted with media relations, interviewing, publishing, and website management.
The 2024-26 grant cycle marks the sixth time since 2007 the GNAC has applied for and received funding for this grant. Past interns include Annie Jenkins, who is currently the director of athletic business operations at UMass Lowell, Vaughn Calhoun, Ed.D., who is currently the Assistant Vice President & Dean for the Center of Academic Success at Seton Hall University, as well as Jessica Huntley, who is currently commissioner of the Atlantic East Conference, Doug Chin, who is currently the Senior Associate Commissioner for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and Rebecca Mullen, who is the Atlantic East Conference Assistant Commissioner.
“We are excited to welcome Kristin to the conference office staff,” said Commissioner Walsh. “Her work ethic, commitment to detail and professionalism well beyond her years are well-documented from her time at Regis and through her role over the past few years on the GNAC Commissioner’s Council. The GNAC has been extremely fortunate to have received this NCAA grant five times previously and each of those interns have gone on to careers within higher education. Kristin will excel at this opportunity and have comparable results as the previous GNAC Assistant to the Commissioner interns.”
In her new role, under the guidance of the Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner mentor Joni Williamson, Barrett will be responsible for special projects and initiatives including; organizing the 2025 GNAC Professional Development Seminar on student-athlete mental health, assisting with the coordination of the GNAC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) efforts, managing day-to-day operations with social media, community involvement, event management at conference championships, historical research, and strategic planning, as well as overseeing the recruitment of new sport officials. She will assist Senior Associate Commissioner Chin with athletics communications tasks. Barrett will also provide guidance and mentorship while supervising a GNAC undergraduate student working part time in the GNAC office. Additionally, Barrett will be continuing with her master’s degree in sports communication.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of 16 institutions: Albertus Magnus College (New Haven, Conn.); Anna Maria College (Paxton, Mass.); Colby Sawyer College (New London, N.H.); Dean College (Franklin, Mass.); Elms College (Chicopee, Mass.) Emmanuel College (Boston, Mass.); Johnson & Wales University (Providence, R.I.); Lasell University (Newton, Mass.); Mitchell College (New London, Conn.); New England College (Henniker, N.H.); Norwich University (Northfield, Vt.); Regis College (Weston, Mass.); Rivier University (Nashua, N.H.); Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (Standish, Maine); Simmons University (Boston, Mass.); University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (West Hartford, Conn.). The GNAC currently sponsors championships in twenty-one sports for men and women. Emerson College and Wentworth University are associate members of the conference.
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