Chico State Director of Athletics Anita Barker is this week’s Wildcat of the Week. During this holiday season, when we are reminded how fortunate we are, there’s not a more appropriate choice.
Barker is beloved by the athletic department’s coaches and staff alike. In her 12th year as the Athletic Director for the University’s 13 intercollegiate athletics teams, she has earned tremendous respect at the local, conference and national levels.
She is currently serving as President of the Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2ADA).
Closer to home, Barker has built an athletics department that is successful across all 13 programs. Chico State has won the last three California Collegiate Athletic Association Commissioner’s Cup trophies, awarded to the highest-achieving department in the CCAA.
Nationally, Chico State finished the fall ranked fifth in the nation in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup Standings, which is designed to showcase the top athletic programs in the nation. Chico State has ranked among the nation’s top 31 Division II schools in each of the last 12 years, including four top 10 rankings since 2003-04.
Barker doesn’t coach the players or compete on any team. But she does provide each athlete and coach the best possible recipe for success. And under her leadership, succeed is exactly what the Wildcats tend to do.
