Anita Brenner named associate athletic director

Anita Brenner, a former commodore for the Cornell women's crew, has been named associate director of athletics, Charles H. Moore, director of athletics and physical education, announced Jan. 20. Brenner replaces Dianne Murphy, who stepped down in November to become the director of athletics and recreation at the University of Denver.

"Anita has excellent experience as both a student-athlete, coach and administrator and we're very happy she has agreed to accept this new challenge," said Moore.

"I'm very excited to take on this new position," said Brenner. "We have an outstanding coaching and administrative staff, and I'm looking forward to working with them."

Brenner, who will assume her new position by the end of February, has served as associate director/athletics liaison for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell since 1995. In that role, she is responsible for directing athletic and admissions staff involvement in targeted recruitment, admission and enrollment of student-athletes, training of admissions and athletics staff on recruitment, enrollment and retention, as well as participating in Ivy League admissions initiatives and policy development.

Before joining the Cornell staff, Brenner was assistant director of special gifts and donor relations for the College Relations and Resource Development office at Ithaca College, 1994-95. From 1991 to 1993, she served as assistant director of club programs for Cornell's Office of Alumni Affairs.

Brenner was registrar and director of continuing education information service for Cornell's School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions from 1989 to 1991. Prior to joining the Cornell community, she was a meeting and event coordinator for the CBORD Group Inc. in Ithaca.

From 1988 to 1994, Brenner was a member of Ithaca College's crew coaching staff, serving as novice women's rowing coach, 1988-91, and varsity women's rowing coach, 1991-94. She was a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference seeding committee.

A native of Ithaca, Brenner received her bachelor of science degree from Cornell's School of Hotel Administration in 1987 and her master of science degree in corporate communication from Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications in 1993. While at Cornell, she was a member of the women's crew for four years, serving as commodore her final season.