WASHINGTON - Bringing in 17 years of experience providing program direction, innovation and coordination for athletic organizations and institutions of higher education, Natalie Rogers has been hired as the Associate AD for Student-Athlete Well-Being in the American University Department of Athletics. Dr. Billy Walker, Director of Athletics and Recreation, announced the hire after an extensive search for the candidate who best fit this newly structured role. 
  
"I'm tremendously excited to welcome Natalie Rogers to American University," said Walker. "Natalie brings a vast array of experience across a wide spectrum of athletics. Whether it be working for a national governing body, coaching and serving as an administrator at several high-end academic institutions, or more than a decade as an official at the NCAA Headquarters, she's proven herself a dynamic leader in each role. We are delighted to welcome Natalie to the Eagles team!"
 
Rogers has spent the last eight years in the Washington, D.C. area, recently working for the United States Tennis Association in Reston, Va. While working with the USTA, Rogers' focus was on the youth brand Net Generation as she managed a team that drove the member engagement and diversity and inclusion efforts. 
 
"I am beyond thrilled to join the American University Athletics family, and am thankful to Dr. Billy Walker and the entire search committee for this opportunity," said Rogers. "I am excited and eager to build partnerships within the university community and provide support to our tremendous student-athletes, coaches, and staff as we work together to pursue continued excellence for our American University Eagles!" 
 
Among her roles in higher education was a stint at Howard University as the Associate Director of Compliance from 2012-13. Rogers was recruited to Howard to help develop innovative new compliance practices for the athletic department. She was well-suited for this work as an athletic department administrator after spending the 10 previous years on the NCAA staff, first as an Assistant Director of Enforcement and then as the Associate Director of Amateurism Certification for the NCAA Eligibility Center. 
 
Rogers, a Division I tennis player at the University of Michigan, also has a background in coaching. She spent four years early in her career as the tennis coach, badminton coach and an assistant professor of physical education at Bryn Mawr College. In 2000, she moved on to the University of Chicago where she spent two years as the head coach for men's and women's tennis, assistant professor of physical education and athletics, and a special events manager for the Division III institution. 
 
Gaining extensive experience outside of athletic departments has added to Rogers' portfolio, as she ran her own consulting business from 2014-16 to provide guidance and education to coaches and athletic organizations regarding complex NCAA legislation as it related to the eligibility process. 
 
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Rogers graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in political science, and later earned her master's degree in sports leadership from Duquesne University. Rogers, formerly Natalie Butler, resides in Alexandria, Va., with her husband.