Nov. 29, 2006

Question

Jim, you are doing an excellent job as AD. My daughter's decision to sign a national letter of intent is based in part due to the positive direction of the athletic programs at the university. How long will you continue your strategic initiatives at the university?

Michael Horsey, Wyncote, Pa.

Answer

Michael,

Thanks for your thoughtful email and I welcome to you and Misha to our Seawolves Family. I am pleased that you are impressed with the direction of our program. Our good fortunes are derived from plenty of hard work by our staff and great leadership from University President, Shirley Strum Kenny. Without question, the last three years have been the most challenging and rewarding of my career. That stated, I cannot begin to articulate to you how excited and proud I am to be the Director of Athletics at such a terrific university, a university that casts shadows along with the elite institutions in the world. The growth of our athletic program has mirrored the meteoric rise of our university and I promise you, it will only get better. We have many strategic initiatives and goals we've yet to achieve at Stony Brook and we plan to carry out the vision we began in 2003. Our strategic planning for athletics will never stop. I assure you we will continue to press forward with a vision and direction, because if we stop, we will only fall behind our competition. I am encouraged and very confident that we will attain the strategic goals we've worked so hard to outline and define. Will it take time? Certainly....but we will succeed. I am delighted that you and Misha will be a part of it and look forward to seeing you at the games.

Go Seawolves!

Jim