Penny Allen-Cook became commissioner of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) on July 1, 2014. Allen-Cook is the ninth person to lead the nation’s oldest collegiate conference.

 

Entering the sixth year as the MIAA commissioner, Allen-Cook continues to focus on enhancing the student-athlete experience for MIAA student-athletes both in competition and in the classroom. Under Allen-Cook’s direction, the MIAA has put into motion improvements for honoring the hard work of its student-athletes.

 

Taking to heart the NCAA Division III focus of the well-rounded collegiate experience, Allen-Cook has also improved aspects of the MIAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, providing educational and networking opportunities for its participants at the annual NCAA Convention and beyond.

 

Allen-Cook was instrumental in working with Finlandia University to add the Michigan Division III institution as an affiliate member in football for the 2018 campaign.

 

Allen-Cook brings to the MIAA front office a strong background in intercollegiate athletics as a coach, administrator and conference official. From 2008 to 2012, Allen-Cook served as assistant commissioner of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), an NCAA Division II conference with most of its member colleges in the state of Michigan.

 

While with the GLIAC, Allen-Cook supervised 11 of the conference’s 21 sports, directed its Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), instituted a bi-yearly educational program for student-athletes in leadership and professional skills to be used after college and instituted conference-wide compliance programs. Allen-Cook also assisted in development and oversight of the conference budget, secured sponsorships for awards and tournaments and directed the largest collegiate volleyball tournament in the country. Allen-Cook also started up a conference-wide breast cancer awareness program known as “Pink Wave” that raised more than $80,000 over three years.

 

Allen-Cook spent nearly a decade in the MIAA as a coach and administrator at Alma College. From 1996 to 2002, Allen-Cook served as Alma’s head volleyball coach, posting a career record of 132-54 and leading the Scots to the first of what would be four consecutive MIAA championships during the 2001 season. Allen-Cook also served as women’s director of athletics, assistant athletic director, and senior woman administrator during a period from 1997 to 2002, serving as Alma’s NCAA compliance officer.

 

Prior to joining the MIAA, Allen-Cook was a consultant to college athletic departments in assisting them to develop compliance manuals and educational compliance programs. Allen-Cook had also been involved in the evaluation of institutions seeking to become NCAA Division II members and has served as tournament director for several NCAA regional competitions.

 

Allen-Cook also has experience as a compliance and academic services coordinator for the athletic department at Saginaw Valley State University from 2005-08. Allen-Cook served as head volleyball coach at Grand Rapids Community College and as a varsity volleyball coach in the high school ranks at Pewamo-Westphalia, Jenison, and Freeland. 

 

A 1988 graduate of Michigan State University, Allen-Cook earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and exercise science with an emphasis in exercise physiology. Allen-Cook earned a teaching certificate in physical education and biology from Michigan State in 1989.

 

Allen-Cook currently resides in Freeland, Mich.  

 

---

 

Clark Heeron, 1922-1931

James Hasselman, 1931-1933

DeGay Ernst, 1933-1961

Win Schuler, Sr., 1961-1965

John Hoekje, 1965-1971

Albert Deal, 1971-1991

Sheila Wallace-Kovalchik, 1991-2002

David Neilson, 2002-2014

Penny Allen-Cook, 2014-present