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Vice President for Athleitcs & Recreation 14 JAMES J. PHILLIPS, Ph.D James J. Phillips became Northwestern's 21st director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation on April 14, 2008, bringing with him a track record of success at the Division I level and a commitment to the values Northwestern always has maintained in collegiate athletics. Four years into his tenure, Northwestern President Morton Schapiro elevated Phillips to the position of Vice President for Athletics & Recreation. One of 10 children from a middle- class family and a native of Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, Phillips' deep Windy City roots and family orientation are an integral part of his core philosophy of providing student- athletes with a "world-class experience" that enables them to thrive academically, socially and athletically. While successfully elevating the profile of Northwestern locally, Phillips has garnered the respect of his peers across the nation and been selected as a leader in the ongoing evolution of college athletics at the highest level. He was elected as the inaugural chair the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Council in February 2015. In this role he serves as the only athletic director on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, the first-ever sitting athletic director to serve on the Board. Wildcats student-athletes have set a national standard in the classroom with Phillips at the helm. Northwestern has surpassed 200 Academic All-Big Ten honorees each of the last six years, including a school- record 232 in 2015-16. The group of more than 500 student-athletes representing 19 varsity athletic programs combined to post a record GPA of 3.32 during the 2015-16 academic year, and a record 82 Wildcats were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars. In the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) data, nine Wildcats programs posted perfect scores and 12 earned Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA. Northwestern Football ranked second among all FBS programs, the sixth consecutive year the Wildcats have ranked first or second in the nation. Northwestern scored a 97 percent overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the latest data released by the NCAA, a figure which leads the Big Ten by eight percentage points and ranks among the best scores nationally. Northwestern continues to be among the nation's leaders in community service under Phillips, who in 2011 oversaw the hiring of NU's first Assistant A.D. for community relations. All of Northwestern's more than 500 student-athletes participated in at least one philanthropic initiative during the 2015-16 academic year, with the group as a whole totaling more than 5,000 hours for the sixth-consecutive year. That emphasis on outreach has also included athletic department staff since 2012, during the annual Staff Service Day in late May. Further improving the student-athlete experience, not just while they are in school, but for the remainder of their professional lives, Phillips facilitated the 2012 institution of the unique NU For Life program managed by the Assistant A.D. for career enhancement and employer relations. The innovative, four-year program is dedicated to guiding student-athletes toward their professional passion, connecting them with desirable internship and job opportunities, and preparing them for lifelong success after their playing careers are complete. In competition, Northwestern has achieved historic success. During Phillips' time in Evanston, women's lacrosse, softball, men's golf, women's golf, women's fencing, men's soccer, women's tennis, field hockey and wrestling all have won team or individual conference championships. Wildcats football has equaled a school record with 10 wins in two of the last four seasons, while men's basketball posted a record 20 regular-season wins in 2015-16. To sustain that success, he has worked to solidify the leadership of each program, securing Pat Fitzgerald (football), Kelly Amonte Hiller (women's lacrosse), Tim Lenahan (men's soccer) and Emily Fletcher (women's golf), among others, with contract extensions. In addition, he elevated Northwestern assistant Jarod Schroeder to men's swimming and diving head coach in 2009 and recruited sought-after head coaches Tracey Fuchs (field hockey), Joe McKeown (women's basketball), Michael Moynihan (women's soccer), Chris Collins (men's basketball), Spencer Allen (baseball), Abby Steketee (women's swimming and diving), 'AHavahla Haynes (cross country) and Shane Davis (volleyball) to Evanston. Individually, student-athletes have won the Tewaaraton Trophy in women's lacrosse (Hannah Nielsen, Shannon Smith), the Big Ten Wayne Duke Award (Mark Ison and Drew Ratner), the Hodge Trophy in wrestling (Jake Herbert) and the Big Ten Conference awards for male and female athletes of the year (Jake Herbert in 2009 and Shannon Smith in 2011, respectively). Phillips has pursued an aggressive plan to ensure success for Northwestern on and off the field of play, embarking on a number of major projects during his tenure. In 2010, Northwestern launched the first wide-ranging marketing campaign in the history of the athletic department and, in the six years since, "Chicago's Big Ten Team," has built brand awareness throughout Chicagoland and driven ticket sales to new heights. In 2010, Phillips signed a deal for Northwestern to face Illinois at Wrigley Field on Nov. 20 in what was the first football game at the "Friendly Confines" since 1970 and the first college football game at the venue since 1938. He solidified the Wildcats relationship with the historic North Side franchise in 2013, announcing a reciprocal event and marketing agreement with the Cubs that provides opportunities for numerous NU programs (in addition to football) to stage competitions at the venue. The series officially began on April 20, 2013, when Northwestern baseball defeated Michigan in the Friendly Confines and continued in