INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has selected Kevin Listerman as the recipient of the inaugural Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award. Listerman, a 2000 graduate of Northern Kentucky University, was instrumental in the creation of the GLVC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while a standout scholar-athlete for the Norse.
Listerman served as Chair of the GLVC SAAC from 1999-2000, a committee whose mission is to enhance the overall student-athlete experience by maintaining a commitment to academic and athletic experience while promoting diversity, serving as ambassadors to the community and acting as liaisons between every GLVC student-athlete, the conference office and the NCAA.
In addition to assisting with the writing of the bylaws for the GLVC SAAC, Listerman developed, organized and led the GLVC Leadership Summit in May of 2000. The event has been held annually at the GLVC Spring Meeting since initiation and unites the SAAC representatives from all of the GLVC member institutions for three days of leadership opportunities.
His contribution to the GLVC and to all student-athletes was not limited to his work establishing a strong conference SAAC. As the GLVC representative to the NCAA Division II SAAC, Listerman served as chair of the national committee and led community service projects in San Antonio and Hilton Head. In addition, he hosted roundtable discussions regarding SAAC at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in 2000.
Listerman devoted time to SAAC from 1997-2000 and as NKU’s first SAAC President he created the popular “Kids Night Out” program which is still conducted annually at the institution.
On top of his service to the institutional, conference and national SAAC, Listerman also guided the Norse basketball team as the starting point guard all four seasons. He led the Norse to four straight NCAA berths and to back-to-back national championship game appearances in 1996 and 1997.
The All-GLVC selection also excelled in the classroom as he was a four-time All-GLVC Academic performer, received the NKU Athletic Council Vincent Schulte Athlete-of-Distinction Award and the GLVC Richard F. Scharf Paragon Award. In 2001, Listerman was a recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award.
The GLVC Service Award is named in honor of Dr. Thomas Kearns who was Northern Kentucky’s faculty athletic representative for 23 years and provided unparalleled service to the GLVC during that period. Kearns served the GLVC as both treasurer and president during his tenure at NKU and assisted with the budget reporting system and the current revenue sharing policy. He spearheaded the league’s first major expansion, wrote the GLVC Hall of Fame guidelines, served on the initial GLVC Awards Committee and developed and maintained the GLVC Handbook. Kearns spent countless hours developing the GLVC into one of the premier NCAA Division II athletic conferences.
In honor of Dr. Kearns, the Service Award is presented to an individual or group that has contributed to the success of the GLVC as it relates to the NCAA Division II attributes of learning, balance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service.
Listerman will be presented the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car GLVC Awards Banquet on May 24.