Valerie Gómez joined Swarthmore in 2020 as the Associate Director of Athletics, as well as the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and the NCAA Athletics Diversity & Inclusion Designee (ADID).
The responsibilities of the Associate Director of Athletics at Swarthmore are many, providing overall administrative and management support for the entire Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. Among other things, Gómez is tasked with coordinating student-athlete programming, advising the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), monitoring the budgeting and fundraising accounts, serving as the liaison to multiple departments across campus, and overseeing the functional areas of Athletic Communications and Sports Medicine.
As the SWA, her role is to enhance decision-making, increase visibility of females in athletic leadership, provide a diverse point-of-contact for student-athletes and staff, and serve as a resource for training and educational opportunities for women in athletic administration.
The purpose of the ADID role, which she held from 2020 to 2023, is to serve as a conduit for information related to issues of diversity and inclusion and to support diverse and inclusive practices related to athletics.
Gómez liaises to Advancement, working closely with the Associate Director of The Swarthmore Fund, to help align strategic priorities and support a wide range of fundraising efforts, while also serving as a standing member of the Garnet Club Advancement Council (GCAC).
Additionally, Gómez partners with the Office of Human Resources and the Provost’s Office for various personnel matters. In this capacity, she assists in evaluation and reappointment of current faculty and staff, as well as the identification and recruitment of new department personnel. Her efforts have been instrumental in strategic personnel enhancements—namely, growing staff and acquiring the NCAA Division III Strategic Alliance Matching Grant.
Gómez actively collaborates with several offices within Student Affairs to strengthen support systems and develop resources to enhance the student-athlete experience, and she partners with Admissions to support the athletics recruiting process.
Throughout campus, Gómez is widely engaged and serves on a number of committees, including the Swarthmore College Clery Act Compliance Committee, Administrative Advisory Council, CARE Team, New Student Orientation Committee, College Judiciary Committee, and the President’s Staff Advisory Council.
She has also volunteered as a mentor with the College’s Kinfolx Affirmation Mentoring Program (KAMP), which provides the opportunity for LGBTQ+ students to be mentored by LGBTQ+ identified faculty, staff, and/or alumni. The program aims to advance the academic, interpersonal, social, and professional success of marginalized Swarthmore students.
Within the Centennial Conference, Gómez serves as a senior leader within the administrative delegates group and has previously served as a member of the Conference Board of Delegates. Additionally, she is currently the administrative delegate liaison for the volleyball coaches’ group.
On the national level, Gómez was selected for a four-year appointment on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee starting in 2024.
Gómez came to Swarthmore from Seton Hall University where she had been the associate athletics director for marketing for the NCAA Division I Pirates. Prior to Seton Hall, Gómez served as the Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she oversaw marketing, communications, and development & alumni relations for the athletic department. Rounding out her Division I experience, she also served as the Assistant Director for Events & Operations at the Northeast Conference.
In addition to a wealth of Division I experience, Gómez also brings Division III experience from time at Montclair State University, where she was the Program Assistant for Athletic Administration, and at Keystone College, where she served as the Athletics Coordinator, Women’s Tennis Coach, and Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach.
Gómez earned her bachelor's degree in government and law from Lafayette College, where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball team. She went on to earn an M.S.Ed. in sport management at Old Dominion University and an Ed.D. in higher education leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University.
Additionally, Gómez has done much in the way of professional development, including Safe Zone training, NCAA D-III LGBTQ+ OneTeam training, Diversity & Inclusion certificate (Cornell), Inclusive Leader certificate (Return on Inclusion), Mental Health First Aid certification, Sport and Special Event Incident Management certification, and more. During the 2023-24 academic year, Gómez completed the Tri-College Consortium Leadership series.
Gómez is also a graduate of the Institute for Administrative Advancement and has attended multiple NCAA conventions, Regional Rules Seminars, and Inclusion Forums.
