Catherine "Cat" Alves was named the Director of Athletics and Recreation on November 8, 2021. Entering her 11th season at John Jay College, she previously was the Associate Athletics Director from 2013-15, Senior Associate Athletics Director from 2015-16, and Deputy Director of Athletics from 2016-2021.
In her previous role, Alves managed all department budget planning, capital facility projects, personnel, revenue generation, fundraising, and alumni relations. Under her leadership, the department budget was doubled in the first fiscal year, followed by year-over-year growth since 2013. Alves also coordinated several maintenance and safety projects, while simultaneously liaising with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York on two multi-million dollar capital projects (Pool and Fitness Center / Locker Room projects). Further, department and team fundraising has been bolstered with the resurgence of the Athletics Hall of Fame, strategic fundraising campaigns, and increased alumni engagement.
Alves joined the John Jay staff after serving as the Strategic Planning & Special Projects Manager at the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC). In this capacity, Alves oversaw wide-ranging efforts in support of the CUNY Athletics Strategic Plan 2012-2016, including research and analysis, content development, and meeting management. Alves played a significant role in the conference’s University and external relations, facilitating partnerships with private and public entities and directing fundraising efforts. In addition to her responsibilities within the strategic planning realm, Alves also planned and coordinated all special events for the conference office, most notably having revamped The Goodwill Tour program as a premier service learning opportunity for scholar-athletes throughout the conference.
From 2011-2013, Alves held a concurrent position at Hostos Community College as the Director of Academic Support & Compliance in the Athletics Department. As the Caimans’ point person for NJCAA and CUNYAC compliance, Alves oversaw student-athlete eligibility, rules education sessions, roster management, reinstatement, and rules interpretations. She also directed the academic support program, improving program retention rates by over 15%, and Men’s Basketball team retention rates by over 30%.
Alves is a proud member of the Women Leaders in College Sports organization (formerly NACWAA) and graduated from the prestigious Institute for Administrative Advancement in 2012, the Leadership Enhancement Institute in 2018, and the Executive Institute in 2021. A frequent presenter at CUNYAC member schools, Alves facilitated at the national level in 2012 for the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Dallas. She has served on Women Leaders in College Sports Foundation Fund national committee, the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee for Softball, and the Hostos Student Leadership Academy Advisory Council. She is also a current board member of the Hunter College Alumni Association and member of the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Committee.
A 2009 graduate from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Alves was a four-year student-athlete for the softball program, earning the CUNY Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Award in her senior season.
A native New Yorker, Alves currently resides in Queens, New York. She earned her master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in January 2015.
