Lakeland names new director of athletics
Dan Artamenko, a veteran athletic administrator with a wide range of successful leadership experiences, has been named Lakeland University’s next director of athletics. He will provide leadership, direction and support for the Muskies athletic department.
Artamenko comes to Lakeland after serving athletic director tenures for over a decade at a pair of junior colleges, first at Williston State College in Williston, N.D., and for the past five years as AD at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan.
"I fell in love working in athletics the very first day I was able to help students achieve goals they never dreamed of," Artamenko said. "I believe Lakeland is a place where I can merge this passion into long-term impacts and make a long-term home for my family. I’m excited to be a Muskie and help our students reach their potential at Lakeland and beyond."
An experienced fundraiser, Artamenko has led numerous facility improvements including a new softball field, indoor hitting facility, multiple LED scoreboards and remodels of existing facilities. He has served in regional leadership positions, including chair for NJCAA D2 Softball.
"Dan is an ideal fit to lead our athletics department," said Lakeland President Beth Borgen. "His multiple skill sets and track record of success, combined with our strong tradition on and off the playing venues, have us excited about the future of Muskies athletics."
At Seward, Artamenko led an athletic department that enjoyed a national championship in men’s tennis, a women’s tennis national qualifier, nationally ranked and national runner-up in women’s volleyball and a region runner-up in softball.
During his five years at Williston State, Artamenko oversaw five teams ranking in the top 20 of the NJCAA polls and four teams reaching the national tournament.
At both Seward and Williston, Artamenko worked with 2013 Lakeland graduate Rylee Hernandez, who served as men’s basketball coach.
Prior to Williston State, he served three years as the athletic coordinator of academics and eligibility at Blinn College, Brenham, Texas, where he increased the academic standards of the athletes while increasing overall student-athlete GPA and graduation rates.
He served on the Brazos Valley Football Bowl Committee, which was responsible for creating and hosting a junior college football bowl game.
For three years he worked at the NJCAA headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., serving in compliance, media and sports management. He worked for USA Wrestling in the marketing department while also assisting with the VIP program for the Olympics. He also worked in ticket sales for the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets. Artamenko got his start in athletics by working as a game day assistant for the sports information director at Lubbock Christian University in Texas.
A Colorado Springs native, he has a master of business administration from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Lubbock Christian. He is completing a doctorate in higher education at the University of Colorado-Denver.
Artamenko’s wife, Nicole, is a family nurse practitioner and they are parents to a 3-year-old son.
