CIAA

Post Office Box 7349
521 Butler Farm Road, Suite 210
Hampton, Virginia 23666
E-Mail: TheCIAA@aol.com
Office: 757-865-0071
Fax: 757-865-8436

Leon Kerry

Commissioner

LeonKerry@aol.com

Leon G. Kerry is commissioner and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) which is headquartered in Hampton, Virginia. Elevated from the position of business manager in 1990, Kerry has guided the 97-year old, 10 member institution conference to unprecedented success. The CIAA Basketball Tournament is the third most attended athletic event in collegiate sports after the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big East tournaments; and is the first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II conference to have its tournament televised as part of Championship Week on the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (ESPN), the cable television giant.

By brokering the ESPN contract, which includes coverage on ESPN2, ESPN Classic; ESPN Plus and ESPN In-Game; Kerry has realized the conference goal to provide a broad range of media coverage for CIAA athletics.

Additionally, Kerry has partnered with local and regional media outlets to have CIAA games broadcast in syndication on FOX, UPN, and WB affiliates.

Kerry has implemented the combination of savvy marketing, innovative technology and corporate sponsorships to maximize the conference's opportunity for growth. The CIAA tournament drew a record of 181,500 fans during its weeklong run from February 28, 2008 through March 1, 2008, compared to 155,000 in 2006 and 42,811 in 1999.

The tournament's first website, CIAA2000.com, was believed to be the first college sports internet homepage developed singularly for one event, the CIAA Basketball Tournament.

Corporate partners such as Coca Cola, North America, Food Lion, LLP, Ford, Bank of America, Alltel and Russell Athletic have enabled Kerry to secure scholarship money for the 10 member institutions as well as for championships and television broadcasts.

In 1998, Kerry secured the largest sponsorship package in history among HBCU conferences and Division II when Coca Cola North America signed a five year, $2 million agreement with the CIAA. He surpassed the preceding record when Coke renewed the contract at $3 million for another five years in 2003.

Kerry's marketing initiatives have contributed to the overwhelming popularity of the tournament resulting in a financial windfall for the host city. The estimated economic impact for the 2008 tournament, in its third year in Charlotte, NC was approximately $30.7 million, up from 15.4 million in 2006.

In addition to men's and women's basketball, Kerry is committed to promoting all 16 championships the conference sponsors in baseball, football, men's and women's tennis, golf, men's and women's indoor/outdoor track and field, men's and women's cross country, softball, volleyball, and bowling.

An outspoken proponent of women's sports, Commissioner Kerry has succeeded in advancing athletic opportunities for young women by adding bowling and women's tennis, now in its seventh year of sponsorship. Corporate partner, Food Lion, LLP has sponsored the women's basketball tournament for eight consecutive years.

Expansion is on the horizon for the successful conference. Kerry expects the CIAA to extend its geographical range in the future. The conference currently has schools located in Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Leon Kerry has received many honors and awards for his remarkable work with the CIAA. In May of this Year, the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) awarded Kerry with the "Conference Images of Excellence" award. Kerry accepted this award, as it is the first time that a conference has been presented with this award in the history of the organization. On April 5, 2008, the Virginia Peninsula Chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. presented Commissioner Kerry with the 2008 Trailblazer Award for his leadership and contributions to athletics and education. Winston-Salem State University honored Kerry with the Clarence E. Gaines Unsung Hero Award, June 29, 2007; He was inducted as an Honorary member of the CIAA Officials Hall of Fame on March 2, 2006; was inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Hall of Fame, November 5, 2005 and was presented by the Honorable Randy J. Forbes of Virginia, a proclamation in the US House of Representatives for his outstanding leadership in promoting college athletics. Kerry also received the Meritorious Service Award from Livingstone College in 2004; was honored by the MBC Network with the 2003 Making Better Communities Award, named to the 2002-2003 Strathmore's Who's Who, was in the 2002-2003 Who's Who in Executives in Business, received an NCAA Fellows Award in 2002, was featured in the Bloomberg series, "Bloomberg History Makers 2002: Conversations with the African Americans Making History in Business Today", named in the 2000-2001 and 1995 Who's Who of Business Executives, was a 1996-97 Who's Who Business Leaders, was honored as a distinguished alumnus by NAFEO in 1996, and also received the NAACP Leadership award in 1992. He has been selected to serve as a member of the National Leadership Council for the Foundation for Higher Education, which represents 650 private colleges and universities.

Kerry represents the CIAA as an influential member of the NCAA Division II Commissioner's Association, the NACDA John McLendon Minority Scholarship Committee, the Hampton Roads Committee of the 200+ Men, and serves on the Business Advisory Council of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

He is a native of Hampton, VA with a degree in business administration from Norfolk State University as well as a degree in banking from the American Institute of Banking. Prior to his tenure with the CIAA, Kerry served as assistant vice president with Sovran Bank (now Bank of America), Atlantic National Bank, and Systems Management of America. He is also a decorated U.S. Army officer serving both active duty and in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Leon and his wife of thirty-six years, Angela, reside in Chesapeake, VA. Their daughter Lisa has a master of education degree from Hampton University. She is a teacher in the Chesapeake Public School system, and the proud mother of her daughter, Madison. Their youngest daughter LeAnne has a master of business administration from Hampton University and is a working in finance.