Oct. 8—Three finalists will interview on the campus of Missouri Western next week for the university's director of athletics position.
Missouri Western announced the three finalists Friday in a press release: Franklin Pierce (N.H.) athletic director Rachel Burleson; Illinois State executive associate athletic director Dwight Merilatt; and South Dakota Mines athletic director Joel Lueken.
Burleson has been at Division II Franklin Pierce since 2017. She previously served at fellow MIAA institutions as Missouri Southern's associate athletic director for compliance and internal operations and Northwest Missouri State's assistant softball coach. Burleson received her master's degree in athletic administration from Northwest.
She has also served as an assistant athletic director at fellow Division II schools. She worked in external operations and gameday at Western Colorado, as well as in gameday and internal operations at Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Burleson earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Tarleton State University and an MBA at Franklin Pierce.
Merilatt has been with Illinois State since 2015. Previously, Merilatt worked at Evansville from 2007-15 as associate athletics director for external affairs, then senior associate athletics director for external affairs, serving as the interim director of athletics in the summer of 2014.
Prior to his time at Evansville, Merilatt spent six years at Eastern Kentucky as assistant athletics director for marketing and corporate partnerships and director for development. He has also spent time as athletic development director and executive director at West Chester. He was also general manager of the Tampa Bay FireStix, a women's professional softball team.
Merilatt received his bachelor's degree in sports management from the University of Kentucky and his master's degree in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky.
Lueken has served at South Dakota Mines since April 2014. Lueken previously joined William Jewell in 2006 as athletic event management and assistant baseball coach. In 2009 Joel was named assistant athletics director and promoted again in 2012 to associate athletic director. Lueken spent six years at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, in various capacities. He received an associate degree from Ellsworth Community College, a bachelor's degree from Ottawa University and a master's degree from Northwest.
Interviews will take place in order from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in the Fulkerson Center. No reservations are required to participate in the community forums.
Brandon Zenner can be reached at brandon.zenner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowZenner.