The Division III Commissioners Association presented its Meritorious Service Award to a faculty athletics representative for the first time in the award’s nine-year history.

Michael Miranda, faculty athletics representative at Plattsburgh State and chair of the Division III Management Council from 2005 to 2007, was honored during the NCAA Convention for significant and substantial contributions to Division III athletics.

Miranda, who will become president of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association in November, also is a former chair of the NCAA Research Committee. He spent the 2007-08 academic year on sabbatical from his duties as a librarian at Plattsburgh State’ Feinberg Library, serving as a research fellow at the NCAA national office.

“Besides being the division’s most famous librarian, this year’s recipient has truly served Division III in many capacities,” said Brad Bankston, commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and president of the Division III Commissioners Association, in presenting the award during the Division III business session at the Convention. “Besides serving as the chair of the Management Council for two years, he has participated in five Association-wide or division committees, and spent a year at the NCAA office working with the staff on strategic planning and research.”

Extending his service to Division III, he served this year as parliamentarian for the business session, stepping in for the ill Georgana Taggert of Mount St. Joseph.

Miranda joins five commissioners who have received the award – Dick Rasmussen of the University Athletic Association, Patrick Damore of the State University of New York Athletic Conference, former Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Commissioner Carlyle Carter, Dennis Collins of the North Coast Athletic Conference and Tim Gleason of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Other honorees include NCAA Division III Vice President Dan Dutcher and former NCAA Division III director and current Wellesley Director of Athletics Bridget Belgiovine, who shared the award, and former Adrian College President Stan Caine.