EAGLE ILLUSTRATED AUGUST 2024

MEET OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF ATHETICS

On May 15, 2024, Rachel Burleson was appointed Embry-Riddle’s new athletic director. She comes to the Eagles after a successful seven-year tenure as Athletic Director at Franklin Pierce University, where she spearheaded the growth of the athletics department to 24 sports programs. Recognized for her amazing administrative work, Burleson was named 2023-24 NCAA II NACDA AD of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the 2023-24 Nike Division II Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in Sports. Here, you can learn more about our new Director of Athletics and her exciting journey.

“Being able to be a part of something here with people with tremendous pride in what they do and student-athletes that are spectacular and are going to do incredible things in the world, being able to be a part of that journey, that is the reason I’m here.”

What is your vision for Embry-Riddle Athletics?

The short answer is that we will be an NCAA DII powerhouse, the model DII department. We will have a strong and unified athletic department with a focus on our constituents which culminates in our ultimate goals, success. In its current state, we are an incredible institution with a tremendous athletic department. The coaches, staff, student-athletes, and the University already have an outstanding reputation; however, with a concentrated effort in continuing and building on our current success, the sky is the limit. I truly believe the Eagles are destined for greatness, and I am thrilled to be a part of it!

"At the core of what we do, specifically in our division, is graduating our student-athletes…to get them into a good job. It starts with connection; if we can’t connect, we’re not going to do those things. If we connect, those things will naturally happen."

What is your approach to connecting with student-athletes and coaches?

Time! I work very hard to concentrate on finding time to talk with individuals genuinely. The most important thing I do as a Director of Athletics is to get to know our constituents as people and let them see me as a person, with flaws/hardships and all. When we see each other as people first, rather than a job, connection becomes easy. I find the uniqueness of individuals, life experiences, culture, and thought processes so fascinating, yet we all have the same goal - make the Embry-Riddle experience the best/most meaningful it can be.