GRINNELL, Iowa - Teresa Amott, past president of Knox College, has, upon unanimous support of the Midwest Conference Presidents’ Council, been honored with the Thomas Kunkel Presidential Engagement Award.
The Thomas Kunkel Presidential Engagement Award is to be given upon recommendation of the Midwest Conference Presidents’ Council to an institutional representative, outside the department of athletics, nominated for their engagement and investment in, and overall commitment to, the betterment of the league. Thomas Kunkel served as president of St. Norbert College from 2008-2017, and was recognized for his exemplary engagement in the inner workings of the league, through regular attendance at MWC meetings, guiding the league in its transition to presidential oversight, and serving as the first Chair of the Council then as a member of the Executive Committee from 2011-2015.
The fact that Amott is only the second recipient of the Award is somewhat serendipitous in that the inaugural presentation was made in 2017 to the Award’s namesake by Amott herself.
Amott served as the Midwest Conference’s first Chair Elect within the new Executive Committee structure adopted in 2014, before transitioning to a two year term as Chair in 2016, and finally a three-year stint as Past Chair from 2018-2021. During her seven-year tenure, Amott provided steadfast guidance to the league during times of significant challenge including the hiring of new conference office personnel, changes in core and affiliate membership and navigating college sport during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“President Amott provided exemplary leadership of the Conference during challenging times, and brought her keen intellect, problem-solving acumen, and generous spirit to the work of the Midwest Conference,” commented President Barbara Farley, current chair of the leagues’ Presidents’ Council.
On the national stage, Amott was a dynamic and valued presence in the NCAA, serving on the NCAA DIII President’s Council from 2016 to 2021. In that time, she was part of the NCAA Board of Governors Commission to Combat Sexual Violence, which provided guidance to the Association in updating the NCAA Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit. Amott also was a member of the NCAA DIII Presidents’ Council Nominations Subcommittee and was an invited speaker at many NCAA Senior Women Administrator and Presidential Engagement Workshops.
“I am touched and honored by this award from my fellow presidents, and am pleased to accept it in recognition of all they, too, have done for our league over the past decade,” said Amott upon notification of the honor. “The Midwest Conference exemplifies the highest and best qualities of Division III and I was proud to be part of it for 10 years.”