Atlantic Hockey Administration

Robert M. DeGregorio, Jr., was introduced as Atlantic Hockey's first commissioner on June 30, 2003. He will oversee the eight members of the league to include, American International College, Army, Bentley College, Canisius College, University of Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst College and Sacred Heart University. Two more institutions, the Air Force Academy and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will join the league starting with the 2006-2007 season.

DeGregorio is no stranger to guiding a major Division I ice hockey league, having served as commissioner of Hockey East from 1993-96, as he replaced Stuart P. Haskell, who resigned to devote full-time energies to his position as Commissioner of the North Atlantic Conference. The former treasurer and Executive Council member of Hockey East, DeGregorio also oversaw the elevation of Merrimack's men's hockey program from Division II to Division I status in 1989, where it now competes as a member of Hockey East.

"I think that this is a great opportunity," DeGregorio said. "I look forward to working with all of the athletic directors and head coaches in the league. We hope to make (Atlantic Hockey) one of the strongest leagues in Division I ice hockey in the near future."

DeGregorio, the former Director of Athletics at Merrimack College for 19 years, joined the staff at Merrimack as business manager for the Athletic Department and for the College's S. Peter Volpe Physical Education Center in 1978.

He was promoted to Director of Athletics in May of 1983. Throughout his tenure, many of the Warrior teams become national powers. The 15-sport Division II program reached its pinnacle in 1999-2000 when it captured the Northeast-10 President's Cup, awarded for the top overall performance of all teams. DeGregorio was also Merrimack's softball coach from 1982-1992, posting 211 victories in ten seasons and guided the Warriors to four Northeast-10 Conference titles. He was named Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year three times (1986, 1989, 1992). The Warriors won the 1994 Division II National Softball Championship and the softball program has a total of five appearances in the national championship tournament.

Although winning is always a goal, DeGregorio has constantly recognized and encouraged success in the classroom as well as community involvement. This was evidenced in July, 2001, when the first USA TODAY/NCAA Foundation Academic Achievement Awards were announced. Out of the 264 Division II schools in the country, Merrimack ranked second with an impressive student-athlete graduation rate of 86 percent.

DeGregorio has sat on numerous committees and held many posts while at Merrimack serving his institution nationally on various NCAA committees. He He was a member of the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Committee from 1994-98. Degregorio served as director on the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) Board of Directors, Chairman of the NE-10 Men's Basketball Championship and the NE-10 Finance Committees. He was a member of the NCAA Northeast Region Advisory Committees for both men's basketball and baseball.

DeGregorio also previously served as a director of the Eastern Football Conference and as the conference's treasurer, member of the ECAC Finance Committee and chairman of the ECAC Investment Committee. He was also on the executive council for the ECAC and Vice-President in 1995.

A resident of Winthrop, Mass., where he resides with his wife Michele, DeGregorio graduated from Boston State College in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in education. Bob has two children, Leah and Robert Michael III.

David Rourke enters his first year as the Director of Media Relations for the Atlantic Hockey Association.

?I am excited and pleased to welcome David into the Atlantic Hockey family,? commented Commissioner Bob DeGregorio. ?David?s wealth of experience in a variety of roles both inside and outside of college hockey will serve as a valuable asset to Atlantic Hockey and its members. I look forward to working alongside David once again.?

Prior to his appointment as the Director of Media Relations at Atlantic Hockey, Rourke was the Assistant Sports Information Director at his alma mater, Merrimack College. During his two year tenure with the Warriors, Rourke served as the primary contact for the football and men?s and women?s basketball programs, and assisted in promoting the school?s 15 NCAA Division-II programs. Rourke also served as the media contact for both the NCAA Division-II Women?s Basketball Northeast Regional and the Northeast-10 Conference Women?s Basketball Tournaments held at the college.

Before returning to his alma mater, where he graduated in 1993 with a bachelor of arts in mathematics, Rourke was the Assistant to the Athletic Director at Central Catholic High School. While there, he assisted in team, bus and facilities scheduling, as well as game management and ticket sales. During this same time he was the Assistant Sports Information Director at Stonehill College.

Rourke?s previous work experience includes time at Framingham State, SportsTicker, the New England Collegiate Conference, and UMass Lowell. Rourke has also volunteered his services at numerous NCAA postseason tournaments, including the Frozen Four held at the TD Banknorth Garden (formerly the FleetCenter) in 1998.

He currently resides in Medford, Mass. with his wife Alysia and two-year old son, AJ.

Gene Binda is in his second year as the Atlantic Hockey Association supervisor of officials. Binda replaced Dave Murphy, who served as the supervisor of officials for Atlantic Hockey and the assistant supervisor of officials for Hockey East last season. Murphy will continue to serve in his capacity as assistant supervisor of officials for Hockey East.

Binda will be responsible for the coordination of officials for Atlantic Hockey, which includes the assignment of officials, continuous improvement of officiating, acting as a liaison between coaches, officials, and the league, and serving as a mentor to current and prospective Atlantic Hockey officials.

No stranger to the league, Binda worked the ice in the inaugural season of Atlantic Hockey last year. He has also acted as a referee for the ECAC at the Division-II and Division-III level since 1988, and has served as a linesman for Hockey East since 2002.

As a coordinator, Binda holds the title of Referee-in-Chief of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL), the Interstate Junior Hockey League, and the Metropolitan Boston Hockey League. Binda has also worked seminars in referee development for Mass. Hockey.

An employee of the Boston Globe for 25 years as a pressmen journeymen, Binda also spends time as an educator for the Graphic Communication International Union, traveling to different sites all over the country. Binda received a bachelor?s degree in labor studies from UMass Boston in 1998, and a master?s from UMass Amherst in 2002 in the union leadership program.

He and his wife Debby reside in Weymouth, Mass. They have two children, son Eugene Jr., 23, who also referees at the Junior level, and daughter Dorina, 20.br>