LAS VEGAS – Gettysburg College Head Athletic Equipment Manager Kelly Jones was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) at its convention last week.
 
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes AEMA members who have been with the organization for 15 or more years and who have distinguished themselves in the promotion of the organization. Jones was one of five award winners this year, joining Marty Clark from Indiana University, Mike Royster from University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Suzette Madej from AEMA, and Alan Ansell from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).
 
Jones completed her 35th year at Gettysburg earlier this spring and will be retiring at the end of June. She helped usher in a new era of performance for Gettysburg when she arrived and worked tirelessly to make sure every team had the most durable and safest gear and equipment to support their championship endeavors.
 
In her more than three decades supporting the Orange and Blue, Jones saw teams claim 115 Centennial Conference championships and three national titles. On top of that athletic success, Jones provided mentorship and counseling to thousands of students, both as athletes competing on the field and as workers in the equipment room.
 
In addition to her dedication to Gettysburg, Jones carried on an equally impressive tenure with AEMA, holding various leadership positions with the organization through the years. She was one of the first equipment managers to take the first certification test in 1992 and was elected as a district representative that year.
 
As a member of AEMA's leadership board for over 15 years, she has overseen the certification of all equipment managers and set up workshops and educational experiences as part of the organization's annual convention, which was most recently held in Las Vegas. She has helped rewrite the organization's by-laws and continues to work for additional recognition for equipment managers from national governing bodies like the NCAA. 
 
In 2005, Jones was recognized by AEMA with the Glenn Sharpe Award, which is given to the outstanding equipment manager across all divisions. Jones was the first woman from a Division III institution to earn the distinction.
 
"Kelly Jones not only took the role of Equipment Management Specialist at Gettysburg College to an extremely high level, she moved the entire national organization (AEMA) to new heights," said former Director of Athletics David Wright, who spent more than three decades working alongside Jones. "The influence and impact that Kelly has had on thousands of student-athletes and their families is beyond measure. What many people do not realize is that Kelly also served as a strong teacher, counselor, and trusted mentor for many students on campus."