Associate Athletics Director Kathy Jones supervises a number of Olympic sports programs and oversees the units in the athletic department responsible for monitoring student-athlete welfare at Southern Illinois University.

Jones played several key roles in SIU's 2007 NCAA Division I Athletics Certification process, serving as the campus liaison, chief report writer and coordinator of follow-up on certification plans for improvement. Within athletics, Jones takes the lead in departmental efforts on diversity and gender equity issues. She is also heavily involved in the strategic planning process within Intercollegiate Athletics and for athletics' part in the University-wide plan, Southern @ 150.

A Southern Illinois alum with more than 25 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, Jones joined the athletic department in January, 2000. She also oversees compliance and the student services areas, including academic counseling, the athletic training room and the strength and conditioning program.

Before coming to SIU, Jones spent 10 years as an attorney whose practice focused on NCAA compliance and infractions matters. Jones served three years as ex officio legal counsel to the board of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA).

Her background also includes a nine-year stay at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she served first as an academic counselor and later as compliance coordinator.

Jones returned to a role in a governance structure when she was appointed to the NCAA Management Council in July, 2005. Jones is serving a four-year term as the Missouri Valley Conference's representative on the Council.

A native of Savannah, Mo., Jones earned her bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State in 1973, before receiving her master's degree from SIU in 1977. She earned a juris doctor degree from the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn., and was admitted to the Minnesota Bar in 1984.