INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named Linda Deno as the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction, it was announced by the Conference office on Thursday. A former three-sport student-athlete at Saint Joseph’s College and current administrator for the Pumas, Deno will be recognized by the Conference at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car GLVC Spring Awards Reception in St. Louis on Tuesday, May 23.
Deno was nominated by the Conference office and recommended as this year’s honoree by the GLVC Awards Committee, based on her service to Saint Joseph’s and the league.
The Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction is an honor that extends beyond one’s collegiate career. It is presented to an individual(s) that displays academic excellence, athletic ability and achievement, character and leadership, while serving their institutions with personal distinction since their graduation, and making postgraduate public or community service contributions to athletics at any level.
The 1982 SJC graduate competed in volleyball, basketball, and track and field prior to the NCAA officially recognizing women’s sports. However, Deno joins University of Indianapolis Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Sue Willey as the only two individuals to have competed, coached, or served as an administrator since the inception of the GLVC in 1978.
At the urging of former Saint Joseph’s athletics director Richard F. Shcarf, who is considered one of the two “Founding Fathers” of the GLVC, Deno pursued athletics administration and joined the Pumas’ athletic staff in 1984 as an administrative assistant as well as assistant volleyball and basketball coach. In 1987, Deno was appointed head volleyball coach, a role in which she served until 1995 when she stepped down to assume more responsibilities as Associate Athletics Director.
Deno remained with the volleyball program as an assistant from 1995-2003, before serving as head coach once again in 2004 and 2005. She assumed compliance duties in 2005 and presently serves as both Associate Athletics Director for compliance as well as Senior Woman Administrator.
Deno has also assisted the Conference office staff in recent years through the GLVC SWA Championship Liaison Initiative, serving as a Championship administrator for basketball, track and field, and volleyball.
The GLVC’s Alumni Award of Distinction is named in remembrance of Dr. Charles Bertram. Dr. Bertram served as a professor and faculty athletic representative at USI and is a former president of the GLVC. He contributed a great deal of time, energy and effort to the league’s success and was instrumental in conference operations for many years.
Past recipients of the Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni of Distinction Award include Julie (Thoman) Perry, Jim Thordsen, Keith Bailey, Deb DiMatteo, Dr. Alex Lentsch, Dr. Sandra Magnus, Pat White, Dennis Reinbold, Dr. David Porta, Dr. Steven Giles, Julie Fruendt, Dr. Jane Weaver, Jim Vargo, LuAnn Humphrey, Dr. Michael Bernier, Lois Taurman, Larry Tucker, Ron Romain, John Gibson, and Francis G. Slay.