Celestino Limas, Kenyon College’s vice president of student affairs, announced Tuesday that Jason Imperati was hired to serve as the College’s next director of athletics, fitness, and recreation.
Imperati, who is the director of athletics at Lawrence University, an NCAA Division III institution in Appleton, Wisconsin, will begin his duties at Kenyon on June 1, 2026.
“Jason stood out because of his relationship-based approach to having student-athletes and coaches commit to giving their all for one another,“ Limas said. “His authenticity and commitment to excellence in competition, academics, and campus collaboration set him apart. Our future is bright with Jason leading our athletics programs and we are thrilled he will be joining us this summer.“
A native of Long Island, New York, Imperati will remain at Lawrence for the rest of the current academic year, his fourth guiding the Vikings’ 24 programs. During his tenure, he oversaw several transformative facility projects such as the $4.3 million nine-lane track and field upgrade and the $2.3 million soccer and lacrosse team complex. He also guided the launches of men’s and women’s lacrosse and strengthened internal staffing with the addition of a full-time head track and field coach and two athletic trainers.
“Throughout my career, I’ve led programs through culture-building, staff development, facility growth, and strategic planning all with an emphasis on creating student-centered environments,“ Imperati said. “Those experiences have strengthened my ability to bring people together, identify opportunities, and build systems that support long-term success. I look forward to applying that approach at Kenyon and helping advance the department’s mission.“
While at Lawrence, Imperati also served as a member of the Division III football national committee and the Division III convention planning subcommittee. Currently, he’s in the middle of serving a three-year term with the Division III women’s basketball regional advisory committee.
Prior to Lawrence, Imperati worked, for a little more than two years, at Bowie State University, a Division II institution in Maryland. He began his time there as the associate athletics director for compliance and equipment management before a promotion to senior associate athletic director.
Imperati earned bachelor’s degrees in management technologies from Farmingdale State College and in sports management from Dowling College. He remained at Dowling to gain his master’s degree in management and leadership.
Following his education, Imperati worked as the compliance officer at New York Institute of Technology and then as the associate athletics director for internal operations at the University of the District of Columbia.
At Kenyon, Imperati will replace Jill McCartney, who resigned in July after seven years as director of athletics, fitness, and recreation. Tommy Bell, who currently serves as interim director of athletics, fitness, and recreation, will continue to do so until Imperati’s arrival in June.
Imperati will head up a department of 23 sports and a staff of more than 50 coaches and administrators. Kenyon leads all NCAA Division III institutions with a total of 62 national championships and ranks second with 92 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award winners.
“Kenyon’s reputation for academic excellence and its commitment to developing the whole student immediately stood out to me,“ Imperati said. “It’s clear that Kenyon values an environment where student-athletes can compete at a high-level while being deeply engaged academically and personally, and that balance is something I believe in strongly.
“Kenyon has strong institutional momentum, a talented group of coaches and staff, and a community that cares. With a clear vision and strengthened campus partnerships, I believe the department is positioned to grow in meaningful, sustainable ways. I’m excited to help create an environment where our student-athletes can thrive and where athletics becomes an even greater point of pride for the College.“