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 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.
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2024 Recipient - George Maude, Indianapolis (1988-2023)
 Maude served as the clock operator for Indianapolis men’s and women’s basketball games for 35 years, only missing one game during that period. He was regarded highly for his work and was well respected by league officials, referees, and colleagues from other institutions. Maude’s polite, professional manner were characteristics that benefited everyone around him, and he rarely made errors in a position that requires a tremendous amount of focus and attention to detail.
UIndy honored Maude with a memento at his final game as clock operator on March 11, 2023, in appreciation for his dedication and service to the school and the league. He was a loyal friend, donor, fitness member, and advocate for UIndy, D-II, and the GLVC during his 35 years with Greyhounds basketball.
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2023 Recipient - Dr. Ann Jirkovsky, Bellarmine (1998-Present)
 Jirkovsky has been the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) at Bellarmine for 24 years, 22 of which came when the institution was a member of the GLVC. Her engagement at the Conference and National level helped to advance the league, while she was engaging and took a personal interest in her friends and colleagues from each school, as well as the Conference office staff.
During the Knights’ tenure as league members, Jirkovsky held stints as both the Vice President and President of the Conference while also representing the league when the GLVC Council of Presidents (COP) had their hearing on Kentucky Wesleyan’s disciplinary case. She served on several GLVC committees, including the Awards Committee, the Handbook Committee, the Legislative Review Committee, and the Scheduling Committee. Moreover, the North Adams, Mass., native was part of two different GLVC Task Forces, including Review and Recommendations about Conference Awards and the Role of the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), recommending how to increase their involvement in the league.
On a National level, Jirkovsky was a committee member for NCAA Division II Management Council, Nominating Committee, Academic Affairs Committee, Infractions Appeals Committee, Legislation Committee, and the Association-Wide Research Committee. She also spent time in service to the FAR Institute and planning committee for the Advanced FAR Institute.
Earning her B.A. from Williams College and her Ph.D. from Boston University, Dr. Jirkovsky is a developmental psychologist and teaches General Psychology, Lifespan Development, and Sport Psychology. Her current research interests involve enhancing student learning and college student adjustment. She encourages students to participate in her research and has had students present their results with her at national meetings. Outside of her collegiate duties, she is on the education board of Trinity High School and serves on the Services Committee of Day Spring Community Living, a residential community for adults with intellectual abilities.
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2022 Recipients - Bryce Barton, Kevin Hedrick, Sarah Dowd, Heather Shirk
 The 2022 honorees this year include: Crawfordsville High School Athletics Director, Bryce Barton, Aquatics Director, Kevin Hedrick, Assistant Aquatics Director, Sarah Dowd, and Montgomery County Visitors & Convention Bureau Executive Director, Heather Shirk.
Barton, Hedrick, Dowd, and Shirk were instrumental in the development and success of the GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships. The league hosted the inaugural meet at the Crawfordsville High School Aquatic Center in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 2014, which ultimately became home to this event for seven consecutive years from 2014-2020.
Following months of exploring potential venues in Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois, with no success, the league was nearly committed to hosting the event at an aquatics center in Topeka, Kansas, before former UIndy coach Gary Kinkead suggested a site visit to the Crawfordsville Aquatics Center. After a meeting with Barton and Hedrick, a decision was made to bring the event to the pool at Crawfordsville HS.
These gentlemen, along with Dowd, were instrumental in the planning and implementation of the GLVC’s largest and most successful Championship event. Their commitment and dedication to working with the GLVC staff and coaches prior to and during the Championships proved to be an invaluable resource for the league. From being involved in scheduling, the entry declaration process before the meet, to timing during the meet, to providing results at the end of the meet – and several other duties in between – their staff went above and beyond. They also provided pool upgrades over the course of the seven-year hosting span to enhance the student-athletes’ experience, while also being involved in setting up and tearing down signage that helped the league office brand the venue.
Shirk, and Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton, were also key figures in the success the Conference enjoyed in Crawfordsville for seven years. The community support manifested itself with the largest contingent of volunteers ever assembled for a Championship, a welcome banquet for all the teams at no cost to the participating schools, participant mementos, light pole banners promoting the event, and city employees helping when needed.
Crawfordsville embraced the event like no other community, and Barton, Hedrick, Dowd, and Shirk are the individuals who provided the leadership and vision to make it a reality. Unfortunately, the meet eventually outgrew the facility, which necessitated a move to Elkhart, Ind., in 2021; however, the GLVC staff remains eternally grateful for seven successful years in Crawfordsville. The friends at the high school and VCB displayed great passion and service to enhance the Championship experience for thousands of student-athletes in the league.
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2021 Recipients - 15 GLVC Member School Athletic Training Staffs
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) named all 15 member institution athletic training staffs as the 2021 recipients of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award. They were formally recognized at the Fall Meeting of the league administrators, as Maryville University Head Athletic Trainer, Scott Harley, and University of Missouri-St. Louis Director of Sports Medicine, Tim Herlihy, were in attendance to accept on behalf of the other 13 schools.
This is the first time in the 11-year history of the award that more than two individuals have been honored in the same year after a strong desire by the GLVC Council of Presidents, Athletics Directors, Faculty Athletics Representatives, and Senior Woman Administrators to formally and publicly recognize the group.
The athletic trainers (AT) were instrumental in helping the Conference navigate the unprecedented challenge that the COVID-19 pandemic presented in 2020, and continues to present in 2021, while the head ATs helped create the league’s resocialization return-to-play protocol and recommendations.
Each AT staff prioritized student-athlete health and safety by assisting with testing, contact tracing, and other COVID protocols, in addition to their traditional day-to-day care and rehab responsibilities. The critical role they play on campus continues this academic year with both new and familiar challenges.
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2020 Recipients - Did not award the honor due to COVID-19 pandemic
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| 2019 Recipient - Dr. Lawrence Sondhaus, Indianapolis (1987-Present) |
 Dr. Sondhaus serves as the school’s Faculty Athletic Representative and has played an integral role in coordinating Conference scheduling for all sports since 2012.
During this time, the Conference has seen a fluctuation in league membership, which significantly impacts sport schedules. Dr. Sondhaus has not only been dedicated to the creation of the initial schedule drafts, but also the countless revisions needed to address issues or concerns from the membership. In an effort to find common ground with ongoing membership changes in recent years, Dr. Sondhaus created the current “wheel” rotation scheduling model that has been applied across all core sports.
In addition to his efforts with scheduling, Dr. Sondhaus played an integral role in the development of men’s lacrosse as the league’s 22nd sport, and was instrumental in bringing together the “Southern Four” comprised of University of Alabama Huntsville, University of Montevallo, Shorter University, and Young Harris College as associate members for the sport.
Dr. Sondhaus has served a pair of two-year terms as the chairperson of the GLVC and has resided on both the GLVC Expansion Committee and GLVC Membership Task Force.
Dr. Sondhaus has been a professor of history at UIndy since 1987 and served as chair of the UIndy History and Political Science department from 2000-15. He specializes in naval and military history, and has authored 13 books. Recently he was awarded an endowed professorship and now holds the title of the Gerald and Marjorie Morgan Professor of European History.
The St. Louis, Missouri native earned his bachelor's degree from Elon University in 1980, his master's from the University of Virginia in 1982, and his doctorate from UVa in 1986.
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| 2018 Recipient - John Kean, Missouri S&T (1998-Present) |
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named John Kean of Missouri S&T as this year’s recipient of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award.
Kean has been the Sports Information Director at Missouri S&T for the past 28 years while the Miners have been GLVC members since 2004. In his role on campus, Kean has oversight of the entire athletics communications effort for the school’s 17 sports and has also served on various committees within the Conference and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization.
Along with CoSIDA, Kean has also been heavily involved with the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA), serving as an at-large board member with the Division II group and as the D2SIDA president, where he has helped organize the divisional day as part of the annual convention. Kean has also played a vital role in the updated D2SIDA strategic document. Prior to his term as president in 2014, Kean served as vice president and member of the D2SIDA board. In that role, he attended the last four NCAA Conventions as the D-II representative for a CoSIDA leadership group that meets at the convention and also serves as vice-chair on the College Division Management Advisory Committee (CDMAC) for CoSIDA.
With the GLVC, Kean has had stints on the Scheduling Committee and the programming subcommittee during the creation of the GLVC Sports Network. He has worked as the statistician at five GLVC Basketball Championship Tournaments and covered many other duties at various league championship events throughout the years.
Additionally, the Florissant, Missouri, native has assisted with media operations at five of the last six NCAA Basketball Elite Eight tournaments and was the internal public address announcer at the 2017 D-II Football Championship game.
In each of his roles, Kean has provided a great deal of leadership and service to the GLVC and its membership, having been at the forefront of media relations in NCAA Division II while working hard to focus on and celebrate the Miners student-athletes as well as those from other Conference member schools. Throughout his tenure, he has immersed himself in the Conference and national business of media relations and has made a significant and positive impact on both. Because of his strong leadership and service, he is highly respected by his colleagues both in and out of the GLVC. Kean has unselfishly volunteered to assist the league office in administering numerous championship events, including several at which S&T was not participating, while being instrumental on campus in assuring quality game management for both Conference and non-conference regular season games, as well as for the GLVC Championship events hosted in Rolla.
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| 2017 Recipients - Bill and Teresa Massoels, Saint Joseph's College (1985-2017) |
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named Bill and Teresa Massoels of Saint Joseph’s College as this year’s recipients of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award.
A former Saint Joseph’s cross country and track and field student-athlete in the mid-1980s, Bill has served his alma mater in a variety of roles since 1990. He has contributed as Associate Director of Athletics, Director of Compliance, Sports Information Director, head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs, and a professor in the College’s Physical Education Department. He has served as the school’s Athletics Director since 1999, while doubling as cross country and track and field coach – a position in which he has mentored 26 All-Americans.
During his tenure, Bill has served on numerous GLVC and NCAA committees, including the national chair of the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Committee. He has also served five years on the Baseball Midwest Region Appointment Committee (RAC). At the Conference level, Bill has often been the league’s point person for matters relating to cross country and track and field, having aided the growth of those six league sports in recent years. At the GLVC Championships, when coaches convene following the meet, Bill has assisted the Conference by administering the meeting and coordinating with the GLVC staff to tabulate the results of the postseason honors. In addition, he has spent time on the GLVC Steering Committee and has served two terms on the GLVC Awards Committee, including his current stint in which he was specifically appointed by the league staff.
Saint Joseph’s was also where Bill continued to date his high school sweetheart and future bride, Teresa, whom after graduating from SJC became a professor and the school’s Faculty Athletics Representative for the GLVC – a position she still holds today.
Teresa began at Saint Joseph’s as a volleyball student-athlete, playing for three years, and has since been teaching at the college since 1996 when she started her career in the Computer Science Division. In the fall of 2002, she moved over to the Business Administration Division where she started teaching Marketing Research, Sales, and Principles of Management and Marketing. Throughout the years, Teresa has also been a member of the school’s Core Program. She is a two-term Vice Chair of the GLVC Steering Committee and has served on multiple GLVC Peer Reviews at the request of the Conference office. She also volunteers her services to the Conference office at every GLVC Cross Country/Track and Field Championships she attends.
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| 2016 Recipients - Dan Cunningham & Doug McCarty, EastSide Centre |
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference has named Dan Cunningham and Doug McCarty as this year’s recipients of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award. Cunningham was an integral part of bringing the GLVC Softball Championship Tournament to the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois in 2004, and McCarty has played a role in the event ever since the beginning, as well as luring the GLVC Volleyball Championship Tournament to EastSide since 2014.
Cunningham took an active interest in assisting the league to secure a suitable facility to host an eight-team, double-elimination tournament in the community despite the fact that the GLVC does not have a member institution in East Peoria. As executive director for the EastSide Centre, he and his staff dedicated all of their efforts and attention to guaranteeing that the student-athletes, coaches, and fans had a positive experience at the site. The attentiveness of the grounds crew staff, the remarkable draining capabilities of the fields, access to warm-up fields, geographic proximity to all of the schools in the GLVC, and his outgoing personality and tireless efforts to ensure a quality experience quickly won over the coaches and the athletics directors in the league. Cunningham was visible and accessible during the tournament contests and always made an effort to visit with coaches and administrators to get feedback on their experience.
His efforts extended beyond the playing fields as he secured additional sponsorship money to offset the cost of the GLVC Softball Awards Banquet, while also assisting the league staff with securing hotel accommodations for the participating teams.
The EastSide Centre has become synonymous with the GLVC Softball Tournament and has been a great neutral-site home for this championship each May. It is the longest-running neutral-site host for any GLVC Championship event in the 38-year history of the league, none of which would have been possible had it not been for the efforts of Cunningham.
Cunningham remains in the area, but now oversees the construction of the Louisville Slugger Complex. He reached out and welcomed the league’s athletics directors and senior woman administrators to the venue for dinner and a softball game during their Summit meetings last summer.
Following Cunningham’s departure from the EastSide Centre, McCarty stepped into the role of overseeing the venue, and now assists the GLVC with two of its conference championships.
When the league hosted the first GLVC Softball Tournament at the EastSide Centre, McCarty managed the grounds and quickly received praise for his efforts during a rain-plagued tournament in 2004. He and his staff worked tirelessly to prepare the fields for competition when the rain ended so the tournament could be played in its entirety. The league has never had to shorten the tournament due to inclement weather, which has been one of the most valuable assets of hosting the event at the EastSide Centre. McCarty has been a fixture at the tournament, as the 2016 event will mark his 13th straight. Ten years ago, McCarty was nationally recognized for his work at the EastSide Centre by the Sports Turf Managers Association.
McCarty continues to assist the GLVC with setup and tear down at the softball tournament and has been able to maintain the community sponsorship of the GLVC Softball Awards Banquet.
When searching for a neutral site for the GLVC Volleyball Championship Tournament two years ago, the GLVC jumped at the chance to work with McCarty and his staff. He converted the indoor community activity center into a championship venue by installing portable flooring and bringing in multiple bleacher units to enclose the playing surface. Similar to softball, McCarty also secured funding for the annual awards banquet.
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| 2015 Recipients - Ray and Cindy Bippus, Southern Indiana |
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference has named Ray and Cindy Bippus as this year’s recipients of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award. The married tandem is a long-time supporter of the University of Southern Indiana, the GLVC and NCAA Division II.
Aiding the USI athletic department in various roles for more than 25 years, the couple stepped in to help the conference at the 2012 GLVC Baseball Tournament. They were instrumental in securing individuals to take tickets, sell apparel, pick up food for the hospitality areas and umpires for all games played at Bosse Field and the USI Field during the event. More importantly, they added a personal touch to the event by consistently greeting student-athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and media as they entered the facility and always had an encouraging word to share with these groups following the day’s competition. They returned for the 2013 and 2014 GLVC Baseball Tournament, volunteering in the same capacities and continuing to be outstanding ambassadors for both the GLVC and USI as a valuable part of tournament staff.
After such a positive experience, and considering the great help they provided, the conference reached out to the duo again this year to enlist their help at the 2015 GLVC Basketball Tournament at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. True to their nature, they both agreed to help without hesitation even though the event was outside of Evansville. They assumed oversight responsibility for both the student-athlete and the tournament staff/volunteer/media hospitality areas during all four days of the championship. They monitored and controlled access to both areas, stocked both areas with refreshments and donated meals, and also drove to local restaurants to pick up product. Their volunteer help went beyond merely checking credentials as they once again took time to engage the teams, volunteers, and guests with friendly and cordial dialogue. They were fixtures at the arena for over 12 hours each day and then assisted the conference office staff with tear down and loading of the vans on Sunday evening, following the championship games. Their supervision of the student-athlete hospitality area resulted in cost-savings to the league because of the manner in which they monitored the refreshments.
Additionally, the pair has truly set the standard when it comes to “hosting” a team or an event. Along with the numerous events they have assisted with for USI and the GLVC, they have also organized the hosts for the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championships the past two years in Evansville. Every team that has come to Evansville can attest to the fact that their hosts have been extremely helpful, organized, and determined; determined to make their stay at the championships one that they will never forget.
Ray and Cindy are always asking how they can help and at the same time, always cognizant of NCAA rules and regulations. They always ask before they do, and they always want to make sure that what they are doing will have positive results. The twosome has a true passion for volunteering and they both have become dear friends of the GLVC staff. They offer invaluable assistance, but, more importantly, they offer a genuine and sincere touch that enhances the championship experience for everyone involved with the events.
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| 2014 Recipient - Roy Pickerill, Kentucky Wesleyan |
 The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named Roy Pickerill as this year’s recipient of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award. The long-time sports information director (SID) at Kentucky Wesleyan College is in his 35th year of assisting in the promotion of GLVC sports and NCAA Division II basketball.
Now in his 42nd year at Kentucky Wesleyan College, Pickerill has been helping promote the GLVC since its inception in in 1978. He served as the league’s SID from 1980 to 1983, while maintaining the same role on campus. The 1975 KWC graduate worked as a student assistant in the sports information office his senior year and was named the school’s first assistant SID upon graduation. He held that position for 13 years and then was named to his current full-time position in 1988.
In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities at Kentucky Wesleyan, Pickerill has also played an integral role in the promotion of both GLVC and NCAA Division II basketball over the past two decades. Later this month, he will be involved with the media coordination of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight for the 21st season.
In 2012, Pickerill was honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for his 30-plus years of service at Kentucky Wesleyan. In 1999, he was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame – the only SID from the state of Kentucky and the GLVC to have achieved that honor.
In 1998, he received the prestigious Warren Berg Award, presented to a college division member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information. He was also elected the inaugural President of the newly formed Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) in 2006 and served a three-year term.
On campus, his alma mater accorded him the Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1994, the highest honor for an alumnus. Pickerill was then inducted into the Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012.
Following the 2012-13 academic season, Kentucky Wesleyan resigned its full-time membership from the GLVC and moved to the start-up Division II Great Midwest Athletic Conference. After the 2013 football season concluded, Kentucky Wesleyan officially resigned from the GLVC as an associate member in the sport, leaving the 2014-15 academic season as the first in conference history without Pickerill holding official duties related to the GLVC. Despite being affiliated with another conference, Pickerill’s passion for and knowledge of the GLVC will continue to keep him as one of the few true league historians.
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2013 Recipients - Dave and Lois Stevens, Southern Indiana
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Dave and Lois Stevens were recognized for their longtime volunteer service at the GLVC Basketball Tournament when it was hosted at Roberts Stadium from 2001-07.
When assisting the GLVC with its annual postseason basketball tournament, Dave and Lois were responsible for hosting the officials during all four days of the event. They would welcome the officials upon their arrival to the facility, escort them to their dressing room, and provide them with beverages and a meal when their games were over. They would also ensure the officials received their tournament memento and were always gracious hosts on behalf of the GLVC.
In addition, Dave and Lois were noted for setting up their volunteer workstation outside of the team dressing rooms, helping direct the participating squads to and from the court, as well as keeping plenty of water, cups, and towels available on the team benches at all times.
The married couple of 49 years (as of 2013) was a fixture at the tournament in Evansville, and the officials selected to work the event were always very complimentary and appreciative of the warm hospitality they provided. Their smiles and encouraging words to the officials, student-athletes, and coaches helped to create a great tournament environment for all involved.
Their volunteerism was not contained to the GLVC Basketball Tournament either. They also served in a similar capacity in 2002 when the GLVC hosted the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship at Roberts Stadium, and were involved with a youth basketball clinic at Southern Indiana, which the league hosted in conjunction with the Elite Eight.
Lois, a former athletics equipment manager and building coordinator of the Physical Activities Center (PAC) on the USI campus, retired from the school in 2007. Dave retired in 2008 after a long tenure as pastor of the United Methodist Church in Evansville.
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2012 Recipient - Eric Hess, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (1990-Present)
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 Having served in his current position since February 1990, Eric Hess made significant contributions to the GLVC while SIUE was a Division II member in the league from 1994 to 2008. Among his most notable achievements, Hess was asked by then-GLVC Commissioner Carl McAloose in 1996 to create the conference’s official website and oversee all online content pertinent to the GLVC. The site quickly expanded to include full coverage of statistics in all sports, championship events, and special recognition pages. The GLVC Handbook was first uploaded online in 2003 to provide an accurate and updated copy for coaches and administrators. Hess also introduced online voting as an efficient method of selecting All-Conference postseason awards and spent countless hours to enhance the coverage of each GLVC Championship event.
His efforts, which included serving as the conference’s sports information contact for volleyball, baseball, and soccer, were all in addition to his daily responsibilities at SIUE. By devoting those extra hours to the promotion of the GLVC, his work personified the very meaning behind the Service Award.
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2011 Recipient - Kevin Listerman, Northern Kentucky University (1996-2000)
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 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.
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