BULLS NEWS

BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo Athletic Director Bob Arkeilpane has announced several changes in titles among the department's administrative staff.

Bill Maher has been promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director, John Lambert has been promoted to Associate Athletic Director for External Relations and Laura Barnum has been promoted to Assistant Athletic Director of Business Operations. In addition, Sharon Sanford has joined the athletic department as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director.

Maher, who came to UB in 1998 from Canisius College, is responsible for certifying the eligibility of all of UB's student-athletes in addition to assuring compliance by the Division of Athletics with all NCAA and Mid-American Conference (MAC) regulations. He also oversees Academic Services, Student Services and UB's men's and women's basketball and football programs. A graduate of Canisius College where he received a degree in physical education, he later served as Assistant AD for Compliance for 1994 to 1998. He earned his master's degree at East Stroudsburg University, and he served as an Administrative Intern with the New York Knicks before heading back to Canisius.

Lambert came to UB in the fall of 1996 and is responsible for the coordination of promotions and ticket sales of UB's revenue sports while overseeing the Sales and Promotions, Communications and Corporate Sales efforts of the Division. Lambert earned the National Association of Collegiate Marketers Association (NACMA) Division I-A Marketer of the Year Award in 2000-01. He came to UB after five successful seasons with the Buffalo Bisons where he was their Top Group Sales Associate in both 1995 and 1996. A graduate of Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology in Welland, Ontario, Lambert won the Retail Council Canada Award in 1986.

Barnum, meanwhile, is responsible for oversight of business operations and sport supervision of men's and women's soccer in her new title. She joined the division in the fall of 1996 as the Assistant Director of Finance and was appointed as the Director of Business Operations in 1998. Barnum has also acted as the interim Senior Woman Administrator during her UB tenure. A native of Fayette, NY, Barnum was a standout volleyball player at UB, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Exercise Studies, and also served for one season as an assistant coach under former head coach Bob Maxwell. She earned her Master's in Sport Administration from Canisius College while serving as the Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach from 1993 to 1995. She completed her Master's in Business Administration at UB in May 2000.

Sanford, who earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Buffalo State College, came to Athletics after serving as Director of UB's Multicultural Affairs Office. Prior to that she was the Coordinator of Student Support Services at UB.

With the changes, UB's current administrative staff under Arkeilpane consists of Maher, Lambert and Nan Harvey (Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator) as Associate Athletic Directors, Barnum and Paul Vecchio (Assistant Athletic Director of Communications) as Assistant Athletic Directors, Ed Johnson as Chief Financial Officer/Director of Internal Operations, Andy Hurley as Director of Athletic Development and Sanford as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director.