Dartmouth Athletics Hires Claire VeNard as Chief of Staff
8/2/2023 5:30:00 PM | Athletics
The 2007 graduate of Notre Dame most recently served as the Senior Associate AD for Strategic Initiatives at her alma mater.
HANOVER, N.H. — Mike Harrity, Dartmouth's Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation, has announced the hiring of Claire VeNard as Chief of Staff for Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation. She most recently served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Initiatives at Notre Dame.
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING |
| "Claire VeNard's impact on Notre Dame Athletics through her time as a national champion student-athlete and administrator was significant. She is deeply dedicated to the student-athlete experience but what sets Claire apart as an administrator is her intellectual curiosity and creativity. The expertise, leadership, and commitment to excellence Claire brought to Notre Dame will be greatly missed." — Jack Swarbrick, University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics |
| "Claire is a passionate leader who cares about the holistic development of student-athletes. She cares about their academic success, athletic success, and their growth and development as people. I have known her to be a strategic and collaborative partner who works to provide innovative solutions to complicated issues. Dartmouth is getting a great one in Claire!" — Mario Morris, NCAA Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer |
| "This is a bittersweet moment for me. I am very excited for Claire as she takes the next step in her career but I will certainly miss her. She has done so much for me and our soccer program at Notre Dame. We are so thankful and grateful to have had her as part of our program the past few years. She is someone who deeply cares about her employees and student-athletes. She is always available to provide advice and wisdom whenever she is needed. Our student-athletes know they can go to her about anything because she understands the challenges they go through. We are losing a huge asset to our program and Dartmouth is gaining an incredible person. I will not only miss Claire as a colleague but also as a friend as well." — Nate Norman, Notre Dame Women's Soccer Head Coach |
| "Claire brings so many strengths as a campus partner. She clearly understands the complexity in the student-athlete experience and works tirelessly to promote initiatives that focus on the uniqueness of each person's journey. She lives in the tension of the hyphen of student-athlete as that is what they need from us and she never waivers from that commitment. I marvel at her ability to bring together numerous professionals, all from different perspectives, to collaborate in ways that center the student-athlete and promote a multidimensional understanding of flourishing. She is a strategic thinker, bridge builder and a trusted colleague who has had a tremendous impact on how our student-athletes are formed, supported and empowered to be the best version of themselves. She will be sorely missed at Our Lady's University." — Christine Caron Gephardt, Notre Dame Assistant Vice President for Student Services |
"With the shifting landscape of college athletics, we could not have added a better teammate to help us proactively navigate the path ahead than Claire VeNard," Harrity said. "Working alongside Claire at Notre Dame, I witnessed how her remarkable creativity and strategic approach helped maximize the potential of the students, staff and coaches she worked with. We are excited for Claire, her husband Dan, and their children Charlotte, Max and Violet to join us in the Upper Valley."
During her four-year career as a soccer student-athlete at Notre Dame, VeNard was a member of teams that won a national championship, and also finished as a national runner-up and a quarterfinalist. After graduating from Notre Dame, she completed her juris doctorate at Washington University School of Law as well as a master's degree from Northwestern University in higher education administration and public policy. She spent two years in litigation before returning to college athletics at Lake Forest College.
VeNard found her way back to South Bend in 2014 and held four ascending positions during her nine-year tenure at Notre Dame. Her work at Notre Dame focused on strategic initiatives for the department and the athletics director, serving as a sport administrator, working with various campus constituents, and providing leadership and professional development for student-athletes and staff.
"My family and I are thrilled to join the Dartmouth community. I've been fortunate to know Mike for many years and have so much respect for his passion to elevate the student-athlete experience," VeNard shared. "I'm looking forward to contributing to Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation's incredible momentum and helping Dartmouth student-athletes maximize their development and impact through sport."
VeNard's position within Dartmouth athletics will be to lead, develop and execute on emerging issues and efforts in support of the Director of Athletics and Recreation. She will coordinate and collaborate on high-level initiatives across the athletics department and the college to assist with achieving the strategic vision.
VeNard completed the Sport Management Institute in 2019 and participated in the LEAD1 Institute in 2022.
