KERI BECKER
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

Serving as the Athletic Director since 2016, Keri also is the Partners in Action Against Racism Network Lead for Grand Valley State University. Under Keri’s leadership GVSU Athletics has prioritized the elevation of women in sports by expanding “Women in Sports Month,” unveiling the Joan Boand Wall of National Champions and serving as Chair of the Boand and Rowe Endowment for the Advancement of Women in Sports and Physical Activity. With significant impact beyond Grand Valley State University, Keri was named a member of the Michigan Task Force on Women in Sports by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. This State Task Force was established in 2019 by Governor Whitmer to promote women in sports, and acknowledges that women who play sports “are more likely to seek and fill leadership roles in other sectors.

Athletic Director Becker spearheaded several social justice initiatives addressing institutional and systemic racism and oppression, such as the Athletic Advisory Council on Racial Equity and Lakers Listen, a multi-year training program on sexual violence prevention for athletic staff and coaches, as well as a student athlete mental health platform. Keri also serves on the leadership team of the GVSU Women’s Commission, works with the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity to create multi-year trainings, and partners with the Padnos International Center to develop student-athlete study abroad that particularly encourages participation for underrepresented populations.

Keri Becker also serves on the Board of Directors of Women Leaders in College Sports and serves in leadership roles for both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Prior to her leadership role on NCAA she was awarded an NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grand to increase opportunities for gender and ethnic minorities in intercollegiate athletics.

Earlier in her career, Athletic Director Keri Becker was with Ferris State University where she was a three-time GLIAC Coach of the Year. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University and a Master Business Administration from Ferris State University.