Bio

Laura Mooney officially took the reins on April 7, 2015 as the Director of Athletics at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). She is the first-ever female to hold that post at MCLA and the third overall Director in department history. In her brief tenure on campus, she has already helped MCLA Athletics to new heights by providing a clear vision, restructuring the department, partnering for usage of Joe Wolfe Baseball Field in the City of North Adams and the installation of turf field lights.

During her tenure, MCLA claimed a pair of MASCAC championships, winning softball (Spring 2015) and women’s volleyball (Fall 2015) crowns. In the classroom, the Trailblazers have reached a combined GPA above 3.0. Mooney’s focus is to continue to strengthen the athletics programs and further enhance the student-athlete experience through further collaboration with the campus community and supporting the academic and athletic success of its students.

Mooney was appointed to the NCAA DIII Management Council in Jan 2017 and will serve until 2021. She functions as a liaison for the NCAA DIII Membership Committee as well as the NCAA DIII Playing and Practice Subcommittee. She has been a member of the NCAA Sportsmanship and Game Environment working group which developed the “Gameday the DIII Way” standards. Mooney is an NCAA Pathway Program (formerly Fellows) Graduate as well as a graduate of the Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA) Leadership Enhancement Institute and Institute for Administrative Advancement. Mooney also serves as a mentor for numerous women in the industry.

Mooney came to MCLA from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College, where she served as the Associate Athletic Director for Administration.

At SUNY Maritime, Mooney served as the top administrator to the Director of Athletics from 2008-15 and directly supervised several sports programs, as well as the sports medicine department. Additionally, she oversaw the annual operating budget and all department financial operations. Mooney was the designated Senior Woman Administrator and liaison to human resources and was also involved in athletics capital projects. She joined the Privateers’ Athletics Department in 2006.

Mooney also has served as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at SUNY Maritime. Mooney has gained valuable experience on numerous NCAA and conference committees, including the NCAA DIII Men’s Soccer Committee and the NCAA DIII Women’s Soccer Regional Advisory Committee. A former soccer and lacrosse player at SUNY Potsdam, Mooney graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree. She then earned her Masters of Science degree in sports administration and management from SUNY Cortland. SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association presented Mooney with the Rising Star Alumni Award in 2017. Mooney resides in Clarksburg, MA.