New Mexico State University President Garrey Carruthers announced today the reorganization of the NMSU Athletics Department. Included in the reorganization is naming Las Cruces businessman David McCollum to the newly created position of deputy athletics director. In the new position, McCollum will oversee all business affairs for the Athletics Department.
"We are going to manage the NMSU Athletics Department more like a business enterprise," Carruthers said. "That's why I've chosen to bring in a talented businessman like David McCollum, who is not only familiar with NMSU Athletics, but also has a history of managing and growing companies. We are going to grow NMSU Athletics through increased attendance, donor participation, sponsorships and marketing."
McCollum was previously the owner and chief executive officer of FIG Publications, which owned the Las Cruces Bulletin, the Rio Rancho Observer and the Kirtland Air Force Base Nucleus. Each of these newspapers was struggling financially when they were acquired by FIG, but were quickly turned around.
McCollum has also worked as group publisher for the Community Newspapers Holding Company in Birmingham, Ala., as president and publisher of the Las Cruces Publishing Company, and as a senior leader in several other companies in the areas of media, marketing and advertising. In each instance, McCollum demonstrated the ability to successfully promote growth and expansion.
"I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to join the NMSU team," McCollum said. "Athletics is crucial to the university. It's one of the primary opportunities we have to get our name out across the country. The coaches we have at NMSU are some of the best in the country."
Under the new organization plan, McCollum will oversee the department's marketing, financial and Title IX operations. He will also coordinate supervision of sports information. NMSU Athletics Director McKinley Boston will continue to oversee each of the NMSU team coaches. McCollum credited Boston for the increased focus on academics within NMSU Athletics during his time at the university.
Additionally, Carruthers announced the organizational realignment of several other university positions. The presidents of NMSU's community colleges, which include NMSU Alamogordo, NMSU Carlsbad, NMSU Grants and NMSU's Dona Ana Community College, will now report to NMSU Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Howard. Those positions previously reported directly to the NMSU president.
Similarly, the university's vice president for research and vice president for economic development will also report to the executive vice president and provost. NMSU's Human Resources Services and NMSU's Office of Institutional Equity will report to Associate Vice President and Deputy Provost Greg Fant. Previously, Human Resource Services reported to the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance.
"In each of my past activities in both business and in government, I've become accustomed to a stand-alone human resources operation," Carruthers said. "Shifting this unit to the associate vice president and deputy provost's office will do that."
The majority of these changes came as recommendations from the transition teams Carruthers set up shortly after becoming president in an effort to find improvements to various university organizations.