DETROIT -- University of Detroit Mercy Associate Vice President & Athletic Director Keri Gaither will take the summer to offer knowledge to others as she is scheduled to speak at four different national events throughout the summer.

“I have been fortunate to have excellent mentors throughout my career and I am grateful to have also had some wonderful opportunities to participate in these types of programs,” said Gaither.

She will start off on June 18 serving on an Athletic Director's panel at the University of Michigan for an event hosted by the Sport Management Institute (SMI). She will be joined on the panel with Athletic Directors from the University of Connecticut in Warde Manuel, Derrick Gragg  of Eastern Michigan University the University of Toledo's Michael O'Brien. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) joined SMI as a participating sponsor of the program in 1997-98.

Gaither will talk to the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee (MOIC) from June 19-22 in Indianapolis. The MOIC was formed to review issues related to the interests of ethnic minorities and women with a focus on education and welfare of minority student-athletes, as well as the enhancement of opportunities for ethnic minorities and women in coaching, athletics administration, officiating and the NCAA governance structure. Gaither is one of six Division I members on the 15-person committee serving in the third year of a four-year term.

At the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics' (NACDA) convention in Dallas from June 24-27, she will speak to the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Executive Committee, the Executive Committee Members and all other Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association members who will be present for the annual association's meeting.

Also at the NACDA convention in Dallas, Gaither will address the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA). She will be part of a group of speakers along with Julie Hermann, Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Louisville and China Jude, who serves as the Assistant Vice President/Athletics at Queens College of The City University of New York.

Gaither will continue to travel and will be in Kansas City, MO, on July 19 for the NCAA/NACWAA Leadership Enhancement Institute. She will be presenting to administrators with 7+ years of experience and who are at least at the Associate Athletic Director (or comparable) position to discuss fiscal management.

“Being part of the NCAA's inaugural Leadership Institute several years ago was a phenomenal experience.  I hope that through my participation on these committees and my involvement with leadership development programs, other aspiring athletic administrators will have the same type of experience," said Gaither.

“These events are also a great way to positively promote UDM and Titan Athletics, while also providing the opportunity to network with a wide range of individuals and share best practices.”

Gaither has served in her current role at the University of Detroit Mercy since May of 2007. During her time at UDM, Gaither announced the expansion of the Detroit Titans Division I sports program from 16 to 19 teams, added numerous projects including an all-purpose synthetic turf field and track as well as a brand new basketball court that was recently dedicated to Dick Vitale on Dec. 5, 2012.

She chaired the Detroit Local Organizing Committee (DLOC) for the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and held the same position, in addition to being designated Tournament Director, for the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Midwest Regional. She is also a current member of the Horizon League's Executive Council.