University of Illinois Springfield athletic director Kim Pate is leaving her position to become the director of intercollegiate athletics at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina.
The news was announced Tuesday. Pate leaves June 1 for NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. She was selected from more than 100 candidates to replace Neill McGeachy, who is retiring after 14 years.
Heading to North Carolina is a homecoming for Pate, her husband, Rick Pate, and the couple’s daughter, Carsen.
Kim Pate has strong ties to the state. She moved from Saskatchewan, Canada, to North Carolina when she was in high school and still has family in the area. She played, coached and was athletic director at Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, before arriving at UIS.
“It’s great for us to go back and be closer to family,” Pate said. “We’ve enjoyed our time here. It’s been a great opportunity for us personally and professionally.”
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on March 2, 2016.
Read the story online.
