Mary Gardner is in her 18th year as Director of Athletics at Bloomsburg University. She was appointed Bloomsburg's athletic director in July of 1988 after serving on an interim basis for six months.

Prior to becoming the head of the athletic department, she was the Associate Director of Athletics for one and one-half years and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science.

Her duties include overseeing the daily activities of the university's 20 varsity teams, budget control, personnel and fund raising. The athletic department under the direction of Gardner has flourished. It won the Dixon Trophy, in 1996 and 1997, signifying the top all-around athletic program in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and has been in the top five all six years the award has been contested. In addition, Bloomsburg University has been cited by Sports Illustrated for Women and recognized as one of the best Division II programs for women in both 1999 and 2000.

In 2001 Gardner was recognized by NACDA, as the Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast region and in 2003 by NACWAA as the Division II Athletic Director of the Year.

Some of the major successes for the athletic program in the last seven years include four national championships in field hockey, a second-place finish in football and third- and fourth-place finishes in softball in 2000 and 2001.Several other athletic teams perennially compete for the conference title.

Gardner is also active on several NCAA committees including the Division II Management Council, the Committee on Women's Athletics, Membership Committee and is a mentor with the NCAA Fellows Leadership Program, and was formally involved with the Amateurism Project Team, Football Issues Project Team, Legislation Committee, Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, and the NCAA Swimming and Diving committee. She has directed numerous NCAA and PSAC championships during the last 17 years. Gardner is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Executive Committee and chairperson of the conference field hockey committee.

Before assuming her athletic administration duties, she was head coach of the women's swimming and diving program for 14 seasons and led the men's unit for one season. Her women's squads posted an overall record of 88-28, and she coached 44 performers to All-American honors and several national champions. She also served as the university's first field hockey coach and registered a four-year record of 20-12-9.

The Hatboro, Pa., native earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at East Stroudsburg University where she was the school's first-ever national champion. Gardner was a three-time AIAW national champion and a varsity letter winner in both field hockey and swimming. She is a member of both the Hatboro-Horsham and East Stroudsburg University Hall of Fame.

January, 2006