Leah Pezer appointed as U of A Athletics Director

On October 1, Leah Pezer became the seventh director of athletics at the University of Alberta. The athletic director is responsible for overseeing student athletes and all athletic programming. She previously served as the director of athletics, student services at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

“I’m hoping to bring a real connection to the community. What we do in athletics is the same thing that we’re doing in the classroom. We are striving to show the best of what we are,” Pezer said.

In this role, Pezer will oversee different areas. One is the eligibility and compliance of student athletes. Another is the health sciences and mental health support services available to athletes. She will also oversee the teams themselves and the marketing and communication streams of athletics. 

“I’m really excited to start to build more partnerships, to get more people in our gyms. To have more outreach to different faculties in the community, to bring sport to everyone,” Pezer said.

“We really want people to feel like we’re their team,” Pezer says

Pezer is planning to focus on connections throughout the U of A community. She plans to create a strong brand for athletics at the U of A. She wants to showcase this brand across campus, the city, and the province.

“I’m a real believer that we co-create goals. The Bears and Pandas are U of A’s team[s]. We want to be more visible, we want to be front of mind when people are thinking about how to spend their Friday night. We really want people to feel like we’re their team,” Pezer said.

According to Pezer, this also includes working with the Augustana Campus to make sure that North Campus and Augustana “forge a future together.”

“We have a lot in common, but we also have a lot of differences that we really want to honour. We’re going to really work closely [with Augustana] to do that,” Pezer said.

Her first steps will be to meet more people and learn the history of U of A athletics. She will be examining if the current structure supports the goals in place for the program.

“[Making] sure that the partnerships that we need to achieve those goals [are made] really early on. I’m looking at the organizational structure and making sure that it can support the work I know that we are up to,” Pezer said. 

“[The U of A is] aligned with some of the values that I hold really dear,” Pezer says

Pezer grew up playing volleyball. She played for the Thunderbirds at UBC, where she later also coached. This made her a competitor against the U of A for many years, where she watched the U of A programs “closely.”

“I’ve always been inspired by what [the U of A is] doing, and that’s a huge draw, to be involved in a program that I utterly respect. It’s so aligned with some of the values that I hold really dear, and that includes striving for excellence,” Pezer said.

One of the key areas that she will be looking into is efficiency in the current system. From there, she will determine what needs to change to make it successful.

“Sometimes … you can’t keep building from the same small system you’ve been slowly growing. You [might] have to [look] at some areas with some fresh eyes. I think that I’ll bring those fresh eyes. We have all the building blocks, but we could be a little more co-ordinated and aligned across those areas,” Pezer said.

Pezer is an “outsider” and, according to her, she has noticed how “great, motivated, and creative” the U of A community is.

“As an outsider coming in, I can see that specialness and that tight community. It’s a real value, and I’m definitely going to lean in on it.”