Hartley named admissions recruiter/athletic coordinator

January 21, 2009

Waycross College’s (WC) Office of Student Services has announced the addition of a new staff member to assist the College’s recruitment efforts and to re-launch its athletic program. Bryan Hartley began work as WC’s new admissions recruiter/athletic coordinator Jan. 5. A goal-oriented person, Hartley is excited about his new position and eager to make a difference for WC, both in general recruiting as well as athletics. “This position fits me as far as who I am,” said Hartley. “It’s exciting to see that my backgrounds in sports and marketing can be used together for a common purpose.”

While the position encompasses dual responsibilities, Hartley’s primary role will be to recruit students to WC for regular admissions and athletics. To begin, he is making plans within the next two weeks to visit the eleven high schools in the WC’s service area.

“My goal for these visits is to begin to establish relationships with the high schools and to begin to attract students to Waycross College,” he said.

As a parallel to his recruitment efforts, Hartley is also seeking to establish a Recruitment Advisory Committee comprised of 20 high school students in the area. The committee will provide feedback regarding WC’s recruitment efforts and help the College better its standing in this highly competitive area.

“This committee will allow students to be active in the recruitment process,” he said. “I also see this as a learning experience for them whereby they can develop leadership skills while making the College better at the same time.”

When asked about his goals for WC’s athletic program, Hartley said he is currently researching the prospects of launching both collegiate tennis and collegiate basketball on campus.

“Our campus already has the facilities to host these two sports,” he said. “Plus, some of our current students were tennis standouts at their local high schools. As for basketball, there is a lot of community support for this. My goal is to build a basketball program that is centered on this type of support.”

Hartley said he has made contact with officials at the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (GJCAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) about establishing collegiate athletics at WC.

“Both organizations have been very helpful in the initial stages of this process. They have provided much needed assistance,” he said.

No matter which sports are launched first, Hartley said his focus is to build an athletic program that teaches success both on and off the court as well the importance of being involved in the community.

“I don’t want athletes to come here just to play sports,” he said. “I want to also teach them traits that are necessary for academic success as well as for success in life. Being involved in the community is also a key component to that success.”

Dr. David Palmer, president of WC, is pleased with Hartley’s arrival and is looking forward to seeing him contribute to making the College even more successful.

“We are pleased and fortunate to have Bryan’s drive, motivation and competitive nature on our campus,” said Dr. Palmer. “He comes with a marketing background and his spirit of ‘genuineness’ will be valuable as he talks with prospective students and their family members. Through Bryan’s efforts, we anticipate that you will be able to note new things happening soon at the College.”

Dr. Neil Aspinwall, vice president of enrollment and student services, also points to Hartley’s work ethic as a trait that will ultimately bring continued success to WC.

“I am very excited about the addition of Bryan Hartley,” said Dr. Aspinwall. “(He) brings a great deal of ambition, motivation, and experience to (WC) that will help grow enrollment and begin the process of implementing collegiate athletic programs. (He) is very customer focused and eager to begin marketing the programs and services of (WC) as well as the University System of Georgia.”

A native of McRae, Ga., Hartley and his wife, Gina, have a ten-year-old daughter, Taylor. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and sports in general.

Waycross College has been a proud member of the University System of Georgia since the College’s founding in 1976.