Bridget Niland
Bridget Niland, director of athletics and special assistant to the president at Daemen College, has been named to the Power 100 Women, a ranking of the most influential women in Western New York published by Buffalo Business First.
This marks the second year in a row Niland is included in the rankings, coming in at No. 77 this year, up 12 spots from her No. 89 ranking a year ago. Also for the second straight year, she is the only intercollegiate athletics administrator to be included in the rankings, which were topped by Kim Pegula, president and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment that owns both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.
Power 100 Women was compiled by Business First based on years of observing the area’s business community, and represents a selection of individuals from the eight counties of Western New York. The list includes political leaders, judges, college and university presidents, law firm partners, health care administrators, and chief executives from numerous fields, among others.
“Business First has recognized what we already know at Daemen College; that Bridget Niland is an outstanding leader, role model, and powerful influence among her peers throughout the region,” said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. “Bridget has become a leading voice for women’s athletics within the NCAA, across our state, and across the nation, and we are proud of the impact that she continues to have on young women in sport.”
A member of the Daemen faculty since 2006, Niland took over as director of athletics in July 2014, guiding the college to completion of its NCAA Division II membership initiative. Her contributions to the initiative began with her oversight of the entire project from its initiation in 2011 as the college’s faculty athletics representative.
In addition to her daily responsibilities within the Athletic Department, Niland has maintained her teaching responsibilities as an associate professor in the Business Administration Department, and oversees the sport management specialization and business law curriculum. She also serves as an adjunct instructor in sport law and intercollegiate athletics at the University at Buffalo and Niagara University.