(Sioux City, Iowa) – Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Commissioner Corey Westra has been named the 2025-26 NAIA Commissioner of the Year, an honor voted on by members of the NAIA Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) and presented annually to recognize outstanding leadership and service to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Westra has served as commissioner of the GPAC for the past 23 years, making him the longest-tenured conference commissioner in the NAIA. Throughout his tenure, he has guided the conference through significant periods of growth while helping establish the GPAC as one of the premier athletic conferences in the NAIA.
In addition to overseeing the conference’s day-to-day operations, Westra has been a longtime leader at the national level. He has served on numerous NAIA selection committees, contributed to the work of the National Administrative Council, and directed several NAIA national championship events, including the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship and NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championships. His leadership has played an important role in advancing championship experiences and supporting student-athletes, coaches and institutions across the association.
“We are so blessed to have Corey as our Commissioner,” said Hastings College President and GPAC Council of Presidents Chair Rich Lloyd. “We achieved monumental goals this year in terms of growth, branding and structural development. Corey is the epitome of an outstanding conference administrator.”
Under Westra’s leadership, the GPAC has continued to thrive both competitively and organizationally. The conference has experienced sustained success on the national stage while strengthening its partnerships, enhancing its brand, and expanding opportunities for its member institutions and student-athletes.
The NAIA Commissioner of the Year Award recognizes conference commissioners who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service and commitment to advancing the mission of the NAIA. The honor reflects not only Westra’s dedication to the GPAC but also his lasting impact on intercollegiate athletics nationwide.
As the recipient of the Commissioner of the Year Award, Westra will also be nominated for the prestigious NAIA Charles Morris Administrator of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding administrative leadership and contributions to the NAIA.
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