Pamela S. Samuelson, PhD was named the eighth commissioner of the Little East Conference (LEC) June 7, 2019 and assumed leadership of New England's premiere NCAA Division III conference for public institutions July 22, 2019.
Samuelson joined the LEC after spending the previous 16 years as director of athletics at NCAA Division III Susquehanna University, where she led a 23-sport varsity athletics program in addition to overseeing club sport, intramural and recreation programs. In addition to managing a multi-million-dollar budget and a staff that consisted of 24 full-time and 45 part-time employees, Samuelson guided the program through significant, program-wide advancements.
Under her leadership, Susquehanna was a founding member of the Landmark Conference in 2007 and underwent a major rebranding initiative that resulted in a new nickname and brand identity being adopted in 2016. She served as Landmark Conference Chairperson from 2012-14, and saw Susquehanna capture four Landmark President's Trophy titles as the conference's top athletics program. Off the field, she directed the creation of the department's mission and vision statements, the SU Intern program, which led to dramatic increases in applications and enrollment of student-athletes, and SU FACT (Female Athlete Connection Team), a program that connects female alumnae with current student-athletes.
In addition to her day-to-day activities, Samuelson served on a variety of institutional committees, including the Presidential Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion and the Task Force on the Freeh Report. She was also a member of search committees for the positions of Vice President for Student Life and Chief Diversity Officer. Her own efforts to increase diversity within the athletic department saw an increase from one to nine staff members of color.
Samuelson is no stranger to the Little East Conference, having served as assistant director of athletics at UMass Boston from 1998 until her departure for Susquehanna in 2003. She was involved in all aspects of the Beacons' then 18-sport program in addition to overseeing the sports medicine and sports information offices, academic advising, the Student-Athlete Advisory Board, and the strength & conditioning program. Prior to her arrival at Columbia Point, Samuelson spent three years as director of athletics at Curry College after starting her career in athletics administration at Beloit College (Wisconsin) in 1987, where she spent her final eight years as the Coordinator of Women's Athletics.
A lifelong learner, Samuelson recently completed a certificate program through Harvard University's Graduate School of Education's Institute for Leadership and Management in Education in 2017. She completed her Bachelor of Science in business administration and physical education at fellow Division III member Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1981, and earned her master's degree in physical education administration from Chadron State College in 1985. Samuelson went on to earn her doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College in December 2003.
Samuelson is an active member of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIA), for which she has served as an Executive Board member since 2016. A former standout student-athlete on the basketball and volleyball courts, Samuelson is a member of both the Nebraska Wesleyan and Lincoln (Neb.) Northeast High School Halls of Fame.