Dr. Shannon Yates joined the Valparaiso University athletics staff in August of 2016 as the Associate Director of Athletics for Event Management. Yates arrived at Valpo with 20 years of experience working within intercollegiate athletics under her belt.

In her position at Valparaiso, Yates is responsible for the management of all home athletic events. She oversees sports medicine and the athletics ticket office, and will also oversee an internship program in conjunction with Valpo’s kinesiology department. Yates serves as the sport administrator for women’s soccer, men’s golf and women's golf, with secondary administrative responsibilities working with women’s basketball and softball as well. At the conference level, Yates represents Valpo on the Missouri Valley Conference's Sports Management Committee.

Yates worked in the athletic department at North Carolina State from 1992 through 2012, working her way up to Assistant Athletic Director for Operations in her final two years, where she directed game operations planning for all NC State home team competitions and served as a member of the athletic director’s Intercollegiate Athletics Cabinet. Prior to that role, Yates spent 13 years as the Assistant Athletic Director for Varsity Sport Administration and Game Operations.

During her time at NC State, Yates served as the primary game manager for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball home games and spent time as the sport administrator for a number of different sports for the Wolfpack. She also served as on a number of different committees, including chairing the Athletic Department Environmental Health and Campus Safety committee and the Gender Equity and Minority Enhancement NCAA Certification committee.

Yates was also instrumental in the operations of numerous special events at NC State athletic facilities during her time there. She was co-chair of the local organizing committee for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at PNC Arena and served as assistant tournament director for the women’s basketball tournament at the same venue. Yates served as meet director for gymnastics at the NCAA and conference tournament levels at Reynolds Coliseum and was director of event operations for a number of events at Carter-Finley Stadium as well.

Yates also brings to Valpo experience working at the conference and NCAA level. She was appointed to a number of ACC committees, including men’s and women’s basketball and football game operations and gender equity, while spending time serving as the chair of the conference’s softball and tennis committees. At the national level, Yates was designated an NCAA peer reviewer for West Virginia University and Middle Tennessee State University and also was a women’s basketball regional assistant in Connecticut.

Yates graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina State University in 1992 with a degree in psychology. She went on to earn her master’s in parks, recreation and tourism management in 1994. In 2007, she completed her final degree, receiving a Doctor of Education in higher education administration from NC State.