Alex Ricker-Gilbert is a senior vice president and director of athletics within the higher education sector. Ricker-Gilbert has more than a decade of experience in sports management. His investment in the student-athletes he works with expected results in their academic and extracurricular success.

The athletic director was born and raised in Tolland, Connecticut, but now resides and works in Duval County, Florida. In 2014, he relocated permanently to the Sunshine State after residing for three years in the Old Dominion state of Virginia.

Current Role & Duties

Ricker-Gilbert is the senior vice president and director of the athletic department at Jacksonville University. A private university in Jacksonville, Florida's northeast, Jacksonville University was established in 1934. From its 240-acre riverfront campus in the city's Arlington neighbourhood, Jacksonville University offers over 100 majors, minors, and programs.

The Jacksonville University athletic teams are known as "the Dolphins." The Jacksonville Dolphins are members of the ASUN Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Additionally, they participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Ricker-Gilbert is responsible for providing administrative direction and oversight to his department as the university's senior vice president and director of athletics. After serving as the institution's senior associate athletic director, Jacksonville University elevated the Connecticut native to senior vice president and athletic director.

As senior associate athletic director, he oversaw the enterprise risk management, booster engagement program, and Hall of Fame for Jacksonville University's athletic department. Other duties included supervision of its compliance and student-athlete services departments. In the absence of the chief athletics officer, he also served in the same capacity.

Before assuming the senior associate athletic director role, Alex Ricker-Gilbert served as associate athletic director of compliance and student-athlete services at Jacksonville University. In this position, Ricker-Gilbert focused solely on enhancing the university's athletic department's compliance and student-athlete services functions.

Career History

Ricker-Gilbert was the assistant athletic director for compliance and student services at Virginia's Longwood University until 2014. His responsibilities included overseeing and maintaining the university's compliance program with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and managing the university's scholarship budget. He additionally served as a sports supervisor.

Before joining Longwood University, Ricker-Gilbert served as the interim director of compliance for the athletics department at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Purdue University Fort Wayne is an Indiana campus of Purdue University.

In this capacity, he was responsible for ensuring NCAA compliance and student-athlete eligibility. Purdue University Fort Wayne promoted him to interim director of compliance from compliance assistant in the university's athletic department in Allen County.

Ricker-Gilbert also held several positions related to higher education while attending the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Compliance, eligibility, and student-services intern were one of these roles. He also oversaw various philanthropic and fund-raising initiatives on behalf of the Borough of West Chester while working as a graduate assistant.

Academic History

Before attending college, Alex completed high school in his Connecticut hometown of Tolland. He has since earned degrees from Pennsylvania State University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Jacksonville University.

Pennsylvania State University

From 2005 to 2009, Alex Ricker-Gilbert attended Pennsylvania State University for four years. Pennsylvania State University is a public institution with campuses located throughout Pennsylvania. In 1863, it became the first land-grant university in the state.

Ricker-Gilbert received his bachelor of science degree in kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University. Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement. This discipline examines the anatomical, biomechanical, neuropsychological, pathological, and physiological principles and mechanisms of human movement.

University of Pennsylvania in West Chester

Ricker-Gilbert enrolled at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Two years were spent studying sports management, athletics, and public administration at the Chester County campus of the university. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has recognized the West Chester University of Pennsylvania as a public research institution.

Ricker-Gilbert received his master's in sport management, athletics, and public administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2011.

Jacksonville University

Ricker-Gilbert is a native of Connecticut and a graduate of Jacksonville University, where he currently serves as senior vice president and director of athletics.

From 2017 to 2020, Alex Ricker-Gilbert attended Jacksonville University. In Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville University is a private liberal arts institution. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Jacksonville University.

Professional Skills

Ricker-Gilbert is widely regarded for his broad range of professional skills and extensive areas of expertise. Just some of his many professional skills and areas of expertise are:

Academic advising

Admissions

Athletic administration

Event planning

Fundraising

Higher education

Intercollegiate athletics

Program development

Resume writing

Social media

Sports management

Sports marketing

Student affairs

Student development

Student leadership

Teaching

Accomplishments

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics has awarded Ricker-Gilbert the Athletics Director of the Year award. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics is a professional association for athletic directors at colleges and universities. It is comprised of members from over 1,600 institutions across North America.

Ricker-Gilbert was named National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Division I-AAA Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He also serves as the National Collegiate Athletic Association's legislative committee chairman.

Personal Life

Alex Ricker-Gilbert was born and raised in the Connecticut city of Tolland. Tolland is a municipality in Tolland County, Connecticut. Less than thirty minutes from the state capital of Connecticut, Hartford, Tolland maintains a picturesque New England village atmosphere. Ricker-Gilbert has also resided and worked in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He resides with his wife, Hilary, in Duval County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida.