JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Canfield's Hall joins Kent State as Associate AD

KENT -- Tim Hall's ultimate goal is to become a collegiate athletic director on the NCAA Division I level.
The Canfield native and fund-raising specialist also wanted to move closer to the Youngstown area to be nearer to his family.
Those are the two main reasons why Hall recently left his job in the development department at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky., to become associate director for athletic advancement at Kent State University under director of athletics Laing Kennedy.
Hall, who raised money at EKU for 2 1/2 years and also formerly worked in the Youngstown State athletic department, will coordinate the KSU athletics department's major gifts and endowment effort, as well as capital projects fundraising. He will work jointly with the KSU Foundation and Intercollegiate Athletics.
Nearing the top
"From an athletic fundraising perspective, this is the top job I have had," said Hall, a graduate of Canfield High where he played football and basketball.
He left EKU for KSU to become more involved with athletic fundraising.
At EKU, "I started in athletic fundraising [but] then it evolved into a more [university-wide] position. I handled and directed major fundraising for the entire university," Hall said.
Consequently, "I had to make a decision. I love athletics. It is something that has been a passion in my life. Sometimes you have to make a decision -- athletics or university development. My ultimate goal is to be a Division I athletic director and this is a better fit for [my goal]."
So, "This is a good job for me right now because it is one step from being an athletic director."
But although he will be focusing more on athletic fundraising, he still will be part of total university development.
Family attraction
Family also attracted Hall back to the area. His parents, Marilyn and Jim Hall, still live in Canfield; and his father is superintendent of South Range Schools.
"I always said that if I can satisfy two objectives [with one move], this is a good way to do that because it is close to my immediate family and gets me on more of a career track," said Hall, who now lives in Kent with his wife, the former Elizabeth "Beth" Crofford, a Liberty High graduate; and their nine-month-old son, Aidan.
Hall, a graduate of the University of Toledo (1994) and KSU (1998, master's degree), is grateful for the boost in his career that he received while working at YSU.
Helping hand
Hall said that when he was at YSU, he worked with Vern Snyder and Paul McFadden in university development. Snyder later left YSU to become vice president for advancement at EKU, where he paved the way for Hall.
"I left [YSU] to take a job at St. Xavier, a small Catholic school in Chicago, and Vern called and told me about the opening there [at EKU]. I took the job because I felt it was a step up," said Hall, who liked the people at YSU.
Hall is joining another Canfield High alumnus at KSU. Jen Kulics, who played basketball at Canfield High and Bowling Green State, is an assistant academic counselor for athletics at KSU.
kovach@vindy.com