QUEENS, N.Y. (Feb. 4, 2019) – The St. John’s Athletic Department announced Monday the launch of concurrent planning processes to establish a new strategic plan and master facilities plan that will serve as the blueprint for the future of Red Storm Athletics.
“This is an exciting time for St. John’s Athletics,“ said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. “It is important to establish a new vision for our department, one that helps guide our ambitious efforts to build a championship program and provide an unparalleled experience for our student-athletes.”
Senior Deputy Athletics Director Kathy Meehan will serve as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, a team consisting of administration, faculty and coaches that will work with The PICTOR Group (TPG) throughout the multiphase process. St. John’s strategic planning initiative will feature broad-based participation through in-person interviews conducted by TPG with internal and external stakeholders, all of who will help shape the vision of the department.
Based out of Reno, Nev., The PICTOR Group is led by highly accomplished, respected and nationally recognized professionals who have held senior leadership positions in intercollegiate athletics and central campus administration. TPG specializes in strategic planning and visioning by utilizing decades of experience, expertise and knowledge from the team’s background working in the highest ranks of collegiate athletics.
Over the next few months, the Strategic Planning Committee and TPG will conduct a thorough review of the athletic program, solicit extensive feedback and conduct a deep study of industry trends as well as analytic data that will serve as a foundation for establishing The Strategic Plan for Red Storm Athletics. In the near future, a finalized plan will be set in place that reinforces the department’s mission and vision and establishes measurable goals and objectives, in line with the University’s strategic priorities.
A facilities working group, charged with guiding the development of St. John’s Athletics Master Facilities Plan, has also been established with a blend of internal and external representation. Chaired by Deputy Athletic Director John Diffley and with the assistance from advisors at The Beck Group, the facilities committee will create a vision for facility improvement, renovation, replacement, and new construction over the next 10 years.
Headquartered in Dallas, The Beck Group is an international architecture, construction, real estate development and sustainable design and consulting firm that has served a diverse range of industries, most notably education and sports. The Beck Group has extensive experience in construction and design projects for intercollegiate athletic programs, including numerous recent renovations over the past decade at Duke alongside Cragg during his tenure as an administrator at the University.
Overall, the master facilities plan will address the critical need for new and improved athletic facilities to enhance the student-athlete experience, increase player development opportunities, enhance recruiting and increase competitiveness of St. John’s athletic teams. The plan will prioritize a hierarchy of potential projects across a range of scopes and scales, including short and long term solutions. Phasing diagrams and conceptual imagery will also be incorporated in order to visualize the future of Red Storm athletics.
“We know we have plenty of work ahead of us, but our entire team is inspired to facilitate positive change and lay the foundation for our future at St. John’s,” said Cragg.
