NCAA Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Dan Boggan Jr. has announced he will retire in August.

Boggan, who spent several years in the administration at the University of California, Berkeley, before coming to the NCAA, plans to return to California to engage in special projects.

"Eight and a half years ago, I made a commitment to return to the Midwest," Boggan said, reflecting on his joining the Association in 1994. "In my planning, I felt I would complete a five-year term. When the NCAA moved from Kansas City to Indianapolis, I decided to re-evaluate that commitment. I considered leaving once the relocation occurred, but felt a personal obligation to the NCAA to stay."

Boggan joined the NCAA as the group executive director for the newly established education services group at the national office in October 1994. In that role, Boggan led a group created to provide special emphasis to gender and minority issues, student-athlete services, employment opportunities, staff training and team building, and ethics and sportsmanship issues.

In January 1996, then-NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey appointed Boggan as chief operating officer.

In addition to his many oversight responsibilities with a national office staff that grew from about 270 members to 350 during his tenure, Boggan has been integrally involved with the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance and the National Youth Sports Corporation, serving on the boards of both groups. He also serves as a board member for the National Writing Project, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Boggan also raised diversity awareness during his NCAA service. He and Dempsey helped increase minority representation on the staff from about 12 percent in 1994 to 22 percent in 2002.

Eugene Marshall Jr., director of athletics at Ramapo College and chair of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, said Boggan carved an important niche as a champion for diversity.

"Dan has been the chief supporter, leader and fighter for minority and women's issues and has been the conscience of the NCAA for the last nine years," Marshall said. "We are losing a very big warrior in this regard. He'll leave a void that will be difficult to fill."

Before his service at the NCAA, Boggan was California's vice-chancellor of business and administrative services. His responsibilities included human resources, relations with the city of Berkeley, financial services, environmental health and safety, student housing and student-athletes, campus police, and overseeing new construction, among other duties. He joined the California staff in 1986.

Boggan was Berkeley's city manager before that, serving in that role since 1982. Previous to that, he served as county administrator of Essex County, New Jersey; assistant chief administrative officer of San Diego County, California; director of management services of Portland, Oregon; deputy city manager and city manager of Flint, Michigan; and assistant city manager of Jackson, Michigan.

Boggan's many awards and honors include being selected as the Outstanding Public Administrator by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators in 1987. He also received an honorary doctorate of public service degree from Albion in 1995. In addition, Indianapolis' Circle City Classic selected him as the 15th Major Taylor Award recipient in 2001, and he was named the 2002 National Sports Administrator of the Year by the Black Coaches Association.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Albion College in 1967 and a master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan.

Boggan applauded the appointment of NCAA President Myles Brand and supports the former Indiana University, Bloomington, president's platform of reform and advocacy.

"I want to acknowledge the opportunity that exists as President Brand's vision is shared, adopted and made real at every level of the Association and within the governance structure," Boggan said. "Intercollegiate athletics will be more fully integrated into the academic mission of colleges and universities. This is as it should be."