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Southern Illinois University System President Dan Mahony is the 2020 recipient of the Charles Whitcomb Service Award given by the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) which acknowledges individuals who foster diversity and inclusion within the intercollegiate athletics community. Mahony is the fourth recipient of the annual award.

“I am so incredibly humbled to receive the Charles Whitcomb Award from MOAA,” Mahony said. “Charlie Whitcomb was a strong champion for diversity in athletics during his life and helped to found MOAA in order to increase opportunities for minorities in college athletic leadership roles. Having the award named for him makes this honor especially meaningful to me. At a time when our nation is grappling with our promise to ensure equality, I recognize more than ever that we all need to do far more. I hope my future diversity and inclusion work as a higher education leader will be worthy of this recognition.”

Whitcomb, who died in 2016, was a founding member of MOAA. He retired after 40 years of service to San Jose State University in various academic roles from assistant professor to vice provost for academic personnel and administration in the Office of the Provost\Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is remembered for his passion to be a teacher and a champion for others.

”As MOAA’s president, we are grateful to have a higher education leader like Dr. Mahony supporting people of color in this profession,” said Dr. China Jude, MOAA president and senior associate athletic director at the University of Wyoming. “He is a university president that ‘gets it.’ We want to continue celebrating those leaders who champion diversity and inclusion with words and actions. We are happy to honor him as the Dr. Charles Whitcomb Service Award recipient.”

MOAA’s mission is to provide opportunities to exchange ideas, advocate increased participation and administrative opportunities for minorities in athletics. MOAA also promotes generating a sports culture that supports the values necessary to teach and learn respect for self and others.

In recognizing Mahony’s award, Dr. Renae Myles Payne, senior associate athletic director for administration at University of Miami Athletics, said, “I was so fortunate to work with Dr. Mahony at Winthrop, during a time of transition for the athletics department. He has a very practical and effective vision for increasing diversity and inclusion. I am extremely grateful that he and Athletic Director Dr. Ken Halpin gave me an opportunity to help execute his vision.”

In determining award recipients, MOAA looks for individuals and administrators who have gone above and beyond to create welcoming, inclusive and supportive environments within the field of athletics and who have demonstrated a commitment to the recruitment, hiring and retention of a high-quality and diversified staff. The award also seeks to recognize those who have created or fostered a proactive, positive engagement around diversity and who have established programs that improve the campus/organizational climate for underrepresented groups.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the award was presented during a virtual meeting of MOAA.