ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
April 17, 2015  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

Dan Coonan, an Executive Director at Santa Clara University, brings nearly 30 years of leadership and management experience to the Archdiocese  

Dan Coonan, the Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation at Santa Clara University, has been named the Executive Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Archbishop José H. Gomez announced today.

“I am thrilled to be returning home to Los Angeles to go to work for Archbishop Gomez and the Archdiocese in this critical role,” Coonan said. “This is a position that can have tremendous impact – particularly with those in most need.  The Archdiocese is clearly making a huge difference through all of its ministries and service.  I would love to be part of creating a culture of giving throughout our 288 parishes and elsewhere in the Archdiocese.”

Coonan, who begins his new post at the Archdiocese in June, brings nearly three decades of leadership and management experience to the Archdiocese. The majority of his experience in higher education involves direct oversight of athletic programs at elite academic universities, and generating the resources to make them successful.

During his tenure at Santa Clara University, Coonan was responsible for 350 student-athletes competing across 19 NCAA sports. Additionally, he oversaw club and recreational sports at the University and worked directly with the University president in fundraising. Under Coonan’s leadership, student-athletes, as a group, consistently posted mean GPAs in excess of 3.0 and graduation rates among the highest on the West Coast.

Prior to his post at Santa Clara University, Coonan served as the Executive Associate Athletic Director at the University of California at Berkeley, Assistant Commissioner for Governance and Enforcement for the Pacific-10 Conference, and part-time faculty for Sport & Fitness Management at the University of San Francisco.

Coonan, a native of Southern California, is a graduate of St. Bernard High School in Playa Del Rey, CA, the University of Notre Dame and Loyola Law School.

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