Florida Tech Panthers Promote Tara Van Ness to Associate Athletic Director

By Daniel Supraner, Florida Tech News Bureau // April 15, 2022

26 years of expertise in finance and accounting

Florida Tech Director of Athletics Jamie Joss has announced the promotion of Tara Van Ness to the position of Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Tech Director of Athletics Jamie Joss has announced the promotion of Tara Van Ness to the position of Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations.

Van Ness transitions into this role after serving as the athletic department’s Business Manager since joining Florida Tech in February 2020.

In her new role, Van Ness will be responsible for the business operations of the athletic department including overseeing budgetary expenditures for Florida Tech’s 16 varsity sports programs, athletics administration, game operations, equipment and grounds, sports medicine & performance, aquatics, athletic communications, scholar-athlete services, and the Charles & Ruth Clemente Center.

She continues to serve as a member of the Florida Tech athletics leadership team and serves as the athletics liaison with other University departments including accounting, finance, budgeting, procurement, facilities, property, information technology, dining services, and security.

“Tara is a critical member of our athletic program leadership providing valuable wisdom and fresh perspectives from her private sector work outside of athletics. She has worked tirelessly to establish new business operations policies and protocols that strongly align with the University.

“It has been a pleasure to partner with Tara to ensure we are good stewards with the resources our program is provided and as we continually plan and strategize for the future of our athletics program.”

In her new role, Tara will also work closely with the Athletics Department staff in onboarding processes and training new employees.

She will also serve as a sports administrator, assist in the administration of athletic events, and other duties assigned by the Director of Athletics and Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

“I have worked very hard since day one to help evolve our athletics department into a well-run business and show our campus community how valuable this team of coaches, administrative staff, and scholar-athletes are to the University,” said Van Ness.

“I want to thank Jamie Joss and Florida Tech CFO Michael Jones for recognizing my efforts and making this position of leadership official. I am looking forward with great excitement at what we are all going to accomplish together in the future for Florida Tech.”

Van Ness is a 1996 graduate of Georgia Southern University where she earned a Bachelor of Business Degree with a specialization in Finance.

She has 26 years of expertise in finance and accounting in the corporate financial world working for a broad range of industries, such as hospitality, printing, education, and telecommunications.

Prior to arriving at Florida Tech, Van Ness, who is an Atlanta, Georgia native, was a Division Manager with Waffle House since 2013.

Her achievements under the big yellow sign included three promotions in 6 years, which began after she led her Atlanta store to its first time as a million-dollar sales restaurant.

From there, she was asked to completely revive a dying three-store District in Indianapolis, which earned her a 5-store Division in Cincinnati, Ohio that was also struggling to make the transition from Franchise-owned back to Corporate-owned.

In 2016, she was offered the privilege to run a 7-store Division in the beautiful Middle Tennessee Hills.

Van Ness and her wife, Carrie, reside in Melbourne, Florida with their two children, Micah and Mya.