AMHERST, N.Y. -- At its October meeting, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) elected Daemen College President Gary Olson chair of the organization’s Division II Presidents Council, the body that helps set policy and the strategic direction for Division II college and university athletics programs nationwide. He succeeds Dr. Glenn Jones, president of Henderson State University in Arkansas.

The Presidents Council includes 16 presidents or chancellors from Division II institutions from across the country.  Olson will continue to hold a seat on the NCAA Board of Governors, the highest governance body in the organization, which oversees issues pertaining to all levels of NCAA-sponsored intercollegiate athletics.

“I am honored to be selected to represent Division II institutions on a national level and to continue to serve in a leadership capacity in NCAA,” said Olson. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Presidents Council and on the Board of Governors to enhance opportunities for student-athletes across the country and to meet the many challenges facing collegiate athletics.”

Olson, who has a national reputation as a scholar, college administrator, and columnist, came to Daemen in 2013 from Idaho State University, where he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Shortly after arriving at Daemen, he provided leadership and oversight for the college’s initiative to achieve NCAA Division II membership, a goal which was achieved in July 2015.