{"id":20817,"date":"2026-10-22T14:44:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=20817"},"modified":"2026-10-22T14:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:44:15","slug":"cacc-ad-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/22\/cacc-ad-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"CACC AD of the Year\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column20817_819990-6b{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column20817_819990-6b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20817_819990-6b\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dr. Stefanie Whitby:<em>\u201cIt\u2019s a team effort\u201d<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In typical fashion,\u00a0<strong>Dr. Stefanie Whitby<\/strong> deflected personal recognition and credited her team\u00a0after being named the\u00a0Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) 2025\u201326 Athletics Director of the Year in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis recognition reflects the work of our team,\u201d she says. \u201cOur coaches are exceptional, and our staff brings the same level of care and professionalism every day. They make all of us better, and I\u2019m grateful to represent them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That humility is classic Dr. Whitby \u2014 and exactly what has come to define Wilmington University Athletics since she took the helm in 2018. In the years since, the Wildcats have earned&nbsp;23 CACC championships, six men\u2019s Restaino Cup honors, and a reputation for doing things the right way \u2014 focusing on people as much as performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her selection by the conference\u2019s Directors Council caps one of the most successful years in WilmU\u2019s sports history. The University posted its\u00a0best-ever finish in the NCAA Division II Learfield Directors\u2019 Cup standings, maintained a\u00a0 department-wide GPA of 3.23, captured\u00a0five CACC championships, and sent\u00a0eight teams and one individual\u00a0to NCAA championship competition \u2014 producing\u00a0eight All-Americans\u00a0along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In making the announcement, CACC Commissioner <strong>Dan Mara<\/strong> said, \u201cDr. Whitby is a talented leader and administrator. Since assuming leadership of the WilmU Athletics Department, she has guided a strong era for the Wildcats, with a focus on student-athlete welfare and academic achievement while producing championship teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inside WilmU, that commitment is evident in hundreds of small decisions that add up over time. Dr. Whitby\u2019s teams have achieved a\u00a0departmental GPA of 3.0 or higher every semester\u00a0during her tenure, while she has overseen\u00a010 NCAA regional or super-regional championships\u00a0hosted by the University \u2014 logistical undertakings that require months of planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Tina Barksdale<\/strong>, senior vice president and chief Student Affairs officer, says that level of consistency springs from Whitby\u2019s values. \u201cI\u2019m incredibly proud to see Dr. Whitby recognized as the CACC Athletics Director of the Year,\u201d Barksdale says. \u201cThis honor reflects her leadership, clear vision, and deep commitment to our student-athletes. She leads with passion and heart, and she keeps their support and well-being at the center of everything we do, on the field and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Whitby serves on the\u00a0NCAA Division II Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Tennis Selection Committees, oversees\u00a0CACC men\u2019s and women\u2019s track and field, and was named one of\u00a0Delaware\u2019s Most Influential People in Sports\u00a0by\u00a0The News Journal\u00a0and\u00a0Delaware Online\u00a0in 2025. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An\u00a0All\u2013Big East track and field athlete at Villanova University, Dr. Whitby understands firsthand what it means to balance academics and athletics. After earning her bachelor\u2019s in Psychology, she completed an\u00a0M.Ed. in Education Counseling from Temple University\u00a0and an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/organizational-learning-doctorate.aspx\">Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership<\/a> from Wilmington University\u00a0\u2014 the institution she now helps lead to new heights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Dr. Whitby, success has always been collective. It\u2019s not just about trophies or standings; it\u2019s about the culture, and a program that cares deeply about people, progress, and purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u2014Bob Yearick<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-height: 114px;}.wu-text-col &gt; div,.wu-img-col &gt; div {\tflex: 1;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 alignnone FULL wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 figure.image-is-svg {-webkit-margin-after: 1em;  margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18054_056c48-40 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:273px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23{max-width:273px;}.image-is-svg.kb-image18054_2c3578-23{-webkit-flex:0 1 100%;flex:0 1 100%;}.image-is-svg.kb-image18054_2c3578-23 img{width:100%;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18054_2c3578-23 size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-750x225.png\" alt=\"Wilmington University Logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-20626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-750x225.png 750w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-250x75.png 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-768x230.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18054_182255-65 kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:1rem\"><em>Want to read more in-depth stories? Explore our latest <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/category\/magazine\/\">magazine articles<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Stefanie Whitby:\u201cIt\u2019s a team effort\u201d In typical fashion,\u00a0Dr. Stefanie Whitby deflected personal recognition and credited her team\u00a0after being named the\u00a0Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":20818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[98,1090,14,15],"class_list":["post-20817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine","tag-athletics","tag-magazine-fall-2026","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":98,"label":"Athletics"},{"value":1090,"label":"Magazine Fall 2026"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dr-stefanie-whitby-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Marchione","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rachel\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":457,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":457,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":98,"name":"Athletics","slug":"athletics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":655,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1090,"name":"Magazine Fall 2026","slug":"magazine-fall-2026","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1647,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":25,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":423,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20819,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20817\/revisions\/20819"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}