Katie Paradise was elevated to the role of Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator in February 2023. She brings a wealth of athletic administrative experience across all three NCAA divisions to Rensselaer, previously serving within the Athletics Department as the Athletic Compliance Specialist since 2016. The focus of her career to date has been driving transformative and robust athletic education and leading community inclusivity through equity and compliance. She currently serves as a member of the department’s senior and executive staff, providing strategic direction on departmental initiatives, policy development and implementation, student-athlete welfare and equity, diversity and inclusion. She has sports supervision responsibility for half of the athletics programs as well as strength & conditioning and student-athlete development and academic support. Paradise is also the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to help ensure a quality experience for the 600+ student-athletes in competition, in the classroom and within the campus community.
In her previous role at RPI, Paradise was responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of all policies and procedures relative to a comprehensive compliance program for the institutions’ multi-divisional athletic program. She directly oversaw NCAA and conference requirements for recruiting, financial aid, employment, awards, and benefits, and playing and practice seasons. A crucial part of her role was ensuring the coordination, execution, and submissions of NCAA mandated reporting for Sport Sponsorship, ISSG, Title IX, and multi-divisional compliance reviews. In addition to the above tasks, she worked with other necessary entities, to determine initial and continuing eligibility for all Division I and Division III student-athletes and the evaluation of all facets of rules interpretations, investigations, and enforcement.
Paradise was appointed Director of Athletics and Recreation at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) in 2013. She directed and enforced compliance at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and its nine athletic programs. She directly supervised the athletics department personnel including 13 coaches, 2 professional staff and 12 operational staff employees. During her tenure at ACPHS, the women’s soccer and basketball programs were annual contenders at the USCAA National Championships. While at ACPHS she helped foster an environment where all team members were fully engaged in the department and the community, volunteering for countless not-for-profits in the Albany area. She was a member of the President's Council and was heavily involved with the conference, serving on the USCAA Board of Directors.
A native of East Aurora, N.Y., Paradise previously worked at Daemen College from 2011 - 2013, where she had the dual role of Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. She was directly involved in overseeing the academic progress of Daemen's 200+ student-athletes while also operating as the chief compliance officer. Paradise also served as the sports supervisor for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field.
In her two years at Daemen, Paradise was a pivotal contributor to the successful transition of the college from an NAIA institution to an NCAA Division II provisional member. Before joining the Daemen staff, Paradise served in several different capacities at the University of Albany, beginning as a marketing assistant for Great Danes Athletic Department in 2006. She was hired as the Assistant Director of Compliance and Student Services in August 2007 and was then promoted to Director of Compliance in January 2009. Paradise was then elevated to the role of Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance in May 2010, serving on the athletic department's senior staff. In these roles, Paradise was primarily responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of all policies and procedures relative to the University's compliance with NCAA and conference rules and regulations. She also coordinated using the NCAA Student-Athlete Assistance Fund (SAF) to support additional expenses for student-athletes.
Paradise holds a Master's Degree in Sport Administration from Canisius College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Management from Wingate University. As an undergraduate at Wingate (N.C.), Paradise was a Division II scholarship athlete on the basketball team as well as the soccer team, serving as team captain of the latter. She was inducted into the East Aurora High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 for her outstanding athletic accomplishments in soccer (128 career goals), basketball (1,935 career points) and softball.
Paradise is a 2011 graduate of the NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement and is also an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Women Leaders in Sport. She previously served on the Rules Education Committee for the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators NADIIIAA. She is a former adjunct professor locally in The Sage Colleges School of Management and held a similar position in the business department at Daemen College.
Paradise and her wife, Brooke, reside in Latham, N.Y. with their children Quintin, Phoenix and Everest
