In this episode of the Director Download podcast, Jessica Ward, the senior associate director of Athletics for Campus Recreation at Princeton University, traces her unexpected path from an environmental policy major to working as a campus recreation and athletics leader.
Ward recounts how working in the Rutgers University rec center as a student — and mentors who shared confidence in her skills — opened her eyes to recreation as a career. She explains how a formative grad assistantship at Indiana State University broadened her experience beyond intramurals into fitness, facilities and aquatics, giving her the versatility that’s defined her career.
From there, Ward reflects on her time in parks and recreation with Monmouth County, where she learned politics, patience and fiscal responsibility inside a government system. Returning to Rutgers, she navigated decentralization, restructuring and a title “step down,” ultimately making the move to Princeton.
Now a senior leader under athletics, Ward talks candidly about working within an athletics structure, advocating for recreation and using data to tell campus rec’s story. She also shares how becoming a certified leadership coach reshaped how she manages staff, handles hard conversations and keeps students at the center of every decision.
Whether your department is housed within athletics or not, this episode is a must-listen for any campus rec leader navigating restructuring and decentralization.
Show Notes:
- How early mentors at Rutgers University helped Ward see campus recreation as a future career.
- Lessons from the parks and recreation industry on fiscal responsibility, patience and bureaucracy.
- The importance of adaptability, flexibility and a willingness to grow beyond one program area.
- What it’s really like to run campus rec within an athletics department.
- The way Ward and her team use data and storytelling to advocate for campus rec’s impact.
- How earning a leadership coaching certification shifted her approach from giving answers to asking better questions.
Prefer to watch?
