Born May 26, 1955, Gleason is a Pittsburgh native – he moved with his family to Youngstown in 1959 – and 1973 graduate of Chaney High School.
He is one of three contributors that comprise this year’s class.
After attending Youngstown State University, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in sports management from Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University) in 1979 before spending a year as a graduate assistant athletics business manager at Nicholls State University in Louisiana.
In 1980, he joined the NCAA national office staff, working three years in their promotions and marketing department.
From 1983-91, he served as assistant executive director of NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) – at that time, he earned his MA in education degree (1986) from Cleveland State University – later serving the organization as parliamentarian, secretary and executive committee member, the only individual ever to serve in all four of those capacities.
In 1988, he was the founder and president of the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF), serving as the first president of the organization for 21 years.
The organization raised more than $200,000 over the years, earmarking those monies for post-graduate scholarships for scholastic scholar-athletes hailing from Northeastern Ohio.
He became commissioner of the famed Ohio Athletic Conference in 1991 – he retired in 2021 after spending 42 years in collegiate athletics – and in the history of the NCAA, is among only a handful of full-time commissioners to have ever served a single, multi-sport conference for 30 years.
In 1992, just a little over a year into his tenure as OAC commissioner, he orchestrated the first collegiate football game ever played in unified Germany when he established the Rhine River Cup, a game between the Heidelberg Student Princes and Otterbein Cardinals, which ended in a 7-all deadlock in Frankfurt.
Each year since, the two schools compete for the annual Rhine River Cup trophy, in honor of that historic milestone.
He has served on 17 NCAA and other national committees, including the Division III Management Council (2005-09) and was a founding officer (secretary) of the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA).
Also, he was chair of the NCAA Honors Committee for three years and served on the Division III Championships, Interpretations and Legislation, Infractions Appeals, Convention Planning (chair) and Football committees.
Appointed president of the Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA), a post he held from 2005-07, he is known as the ‘Father of the NCAA Grant Program,’ which was created under his leadership. Today, that program distributes $4 million in grants through conferences to its NCAA Division III membership.
Among his many honors and awards, the OAC named its annual Men’s and Women’s All-Sports Awards the ‘Tim Gleason All-Sports Champions,’ receiving the D3CA Dan Dutcher Meritorious Award in 2008.
He received the Dennis Collins Lifetime Achievement Award during the January 2021 NCAA Convention, the 40th NCAA convention he attended during his 42-year collegiate administrative career.
A recipient of the National Football Foundation’s “Outstanding Leadership Award’ (1998), he received the Asa Bushnell Commissioners Award in 2001 and upon his retirement, was invited by the Cleveland Indians to throw out the first pitch at one of their upcoming home games.
He is the author of two books, the first From Black to Gold – The Pittsburgh Steelers and the second The Kitchen Table – Where Education Begins.
He currently serves on the Weathersfield Local Board of Education.
Along with his wife, the former Sherry Rummell they are the parents of three daughters, Shannon (Andy) Poole, Bethany (Matt) Glidewell) and Rosie (Tommy) Rebraca.
They have five grandchildren, Ella Poole, Ethan Poole, Noah Glidewell, Nora Glidewell and T.J. Rebraca.
They reside in Mineral Ridge.
Doors open at 4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m. with the program set to commence at 6 p.m. Individual tickets are $60 each, tables of eight $480 and will be available after February 1.Further information can be obtained by calling 330-506-6774 or by visiting the organization’s website at www.thecurbstonecoaches.org.
