Lakeland University is pleased to announce that Dan Artamenko has been appointed as Director of Athletics. With over a decade of experience in college athletic administration, Artamenko most recently served as an athletic director at Seward County Community College and Williston State College. He has directed nationally ranked programs and overseen major facility renovations. His experience in sport administration, compliance, finance and work with associations such as the NJCAA and USA Wrestling, will be an immense benefit for Lakeland.
Artamenko is particularly anticipating the close-knit community atmosphere at Lakeland. “What impressed me about my visit was the camaraderie, both staff and alumni,” he said. “It’s clear that people here care for one another, and that’s something I’d like to be a part of.”
Short-term, Artamenko plans to stabilize the athletic department, which has been shaken by leadership turnover, COVID and declining enrollments. “Lakeland Athletics has been doing the best it can for quite some time now,” he said. “My goal is to establish consistency, streamline things for all concerned, and get behind the coaches and students so they can do their best.”
Long-term, he envisions strengthening the relationship between athletics and the Lakeland community. “I believe we can get alumni engaged again, improve the game-day environment, and host events that bring revenue to the department,” Artamenko said. “The idea is to build a higher level of pride and support for the program.”
Artamenko is committed to helping student-athletes on and off the playing field. “We understand that athletics are one of the big reasons students come to Lakeland,” he said. “We want to support their choice to go after athletics and also provide them with what they need to be successful academically and in life.”
When discussing the challenges ahead, Artamenko acknowledged that change is never easy. “Change is hard, and it can be uncomfortable,” he admitted. “But it’s crucial to involve everyone in the process, be transparent, and communicate our progress. That’s how we’ll build meaningful change.”