Andrea C. Savage was named as Executive Director of the NESCAC in May of 1999. The appointment, announced by former Middlebury College president John M. McCardell, Jr., was of major significance for the league, as she became the first full-time staff member for the group of 11 institutions since the conference's founding in 1971. As McCardell noted in announcing the hiring of Savage, the conference had "found one of our own, a scholar-athlete who understands our conference's unique combination of academic and athletic excellence, and who will work to maintain the appropriate balance between them while strengthening our ties as member institutions committed to common goals."
Following her appointment, Savage was instrumental in leading the league through the transition to becoming a full playing conference beginning in 2000 with the introduction of conference scheduling and the creation of an additional 15 conference championships.
Entering her 26th year as the Executive Director for the NESCAC in 2024-25, Savage serves as the chief operating officer and works with the presidents, deans, and athletics administrators in the administration of the conference. She is responsible for promoting the NESCAC mission, upholding the policies and enforcing the rules of the conference, and coordinating conference scheduling, championships, and special events.
Prior to joining the NESCAC in 1999, Savage was a part of the Yale athletics department for eight years beginning in 1991. While with the Bulldogs athletics staff, Savage oversaw 19 intercollegiate programs and was involved in budgeting, scheduling, eligibility and compliance, event management, and served as an admissions and financial aid liaison for a number of teams, including football. She was elevated to Senior Assistant Director of Athletics at Yale in 1996.
A 1986 graduate of Amherst College with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, Savage was a three-sport athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse who later returned to her alma mater in 1989 as an assistant coach for all three teams. The following year, Savage served as an assistant for the field hockey and lacrosse programs across town at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She went on to receive a master of science degree in sports administration from UMass in 1991.
Savage has lent her experience to various regional and national committees during her career, most recently serving as a member of the executive committee of the Division III Commissioners Association from 2001 through 2003 before aiding the NCAA Interpretations and Legislation Committee from 2005 until 2008. She was also named to the ECAC Board of Directors for a four-year term beginning in 2009.
Savage has also been involved in the coordination of a number of large amateur and professional sporting events – including US and World Cup Exhibition Soccer Games as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the International Special Olympics.
An active member of the Division III Commissioners Association, Savage was recognized by the DIIICA in June of 2009 for 10 years of service to the organization. She is also a member of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) and Women Leaders in Sports.
