Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Jean Berger, who has more than 20 years of college athletic administrative experience, has been hired as senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at the University of Northern Iowa, UNI director of athletics Troy Dannen announced today.
 
“Northern Iowa is pleased to attract a strong administrator like Jean who can step in immediately to help support and enhance our student-athletes and their programs,” Dannen said.  “She has established a national presence during her career, and with 18 years of experience in the Missouri Valley Conference, she knows and understands UNI as well as our peer institutions.  We are looking forward to her leadership in our department.”
 
In her role at UNI, Berger will have direct oversight of seven Panther women’s sports.  She also will be responsible for implementing and monitoring gender equity plans; assisting with marketing and budgeting of assigned programs; and providing support to the athletic compliance office and athletic academic advising.
 
“I'm excited to be joining the dedicated coaches, administrators and student-athletes at UNI,” Berger said.  “I'm looking forward to being part of the very special future of Panther athletics.”
 
Before coming to UNI, Berger worked for more than 17 years at Drake University, including serving as senior woman administrator the past 14 years. Berger began working with the Bulldogs in 1991 as an assistant sports information director. In 1994 she took over as senior woman administrator and assistant athletic director for internal affairs, and in 2005 she was promoted to senior associate athletic director.
 
Berger’s responsibilities at Drake included supervision of 11 athletic programs and overseeing the department’s student services, including compliance, academic support, sports medicine and strength and conditioning. She also worked as a sponsor for the Drake Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  She serves as the Missouri Valley Conference representative to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issues Committee, and she previously served a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee.
 
Berger also worked closely with Drake’s Title IX Review and gender equity plan, the 1995 NCAA Midwest Women’s Basketball Regional, two cycles of Drake’s NCAA Certification self-study and the Drake Relays.
 
Before working at Drake, Berger spent one year as an assistant sports information director at Wichita State. From 1985-1990, Berger worked as the sports information director at Wayne State College.
 
Berger attended the University of Iowa, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and her master’s degree in physical education and sports studies. She is a native of Winterset, Iowa, and has two daughters, Jessica (22) and Jenna (14).