April Arvan named interim athletic director at Lakeland College

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) -- Lakeland College Interim President Dan Eck announced Thursday, March 28th that April Arvan, assistant athletic director and an associate professor of exercise science and sport studies at Lakeland, has been named interim athletic director.

Arvan replaces Kellen Winslow, who has resigned as the college's vice president for athletics and wellness. Winslow's last day is April 2.

The college will launch a national search shortly for a new, full-time athletic director, and the position will be filled by the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. Arvan will take over day-to-day management of the department until the position is filled. Arvan said she will not be a candidate for the full-time position.

Arvan earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at Lakeland. In 2010 she earned a doctorate in education with an emphasis in sports management and leadership from Northcentral University in Prescott, Ariz.

She served as Lakeland's head women's basketball coach from 1994-2007, and retired from the game as one of the most successful coaches in the college's history. She led the Muskies to five trips to the NCAA Tournament and eight conference championships.

"We are very fortunate that April Arvan has agreed to lead our athletic department as we transition to a new athletic director," Eck said. "We have depended on Dr. Arvan and Aaron Aanonsen, our men's basketball coach and assistant athletic director, who both stepped forward to manage our athletic department upon Kellen's departure.

"Dr. Arvan is a passionate, tireless champion for Lakeland athletics and our student-athletes. I can't think of a better person to help us continue to assess our needs and to develop plans to grow this part of the Lakeland experience. Our new athletic director will be stepping in to lead a department that is focused on a bright future and clearly moving forward."

Arvan began teaching at Lakeland as an adjunct instructor in 1994 and was offered a full-time, tenure-track faculty appointment in sport studies in 2007. This spring she was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure.

She is responsible for building the curriculum in the sport studies emphasis within the exercise science and sport studies major. She is a frequent speaker at NCAA conferences and is respected nationally for her work with student-athletes.

"I'm honored to be asked to step in and fill this role," Arvan said. "I love Lakeland College and I will always do whatever I can to help my alma mater. I enjoy athletic administration, our students-athletes, coaches and everything that goes with athletics.

"But I also love teaching and the progress we have made building our exercise science and sport studies program. That's where I want to continue the focus of my career."

Eck applauded Winslow for bringing a number of positive ideas to Lakeland. "Kellen encouraged us to look at wellness and athletics in a different light," Eck said. "The wellness work will continue as we look at ways to integrate it throughout the Lakeland experience."