A Saylorsburg woman has been pegged to eventually take over as the athletic director in the Northern Lehigh School District.

On a unanimous measure, the school board on Monday appointed Dr. MaryAnn Rush Wallace as director of athletics and student activities, at a salary of $95,000, effective July 1.

Superintendent Dr. Matthew J. Link welcomed Rush Wallace to the district. Rush Wallace said she’s “very excited and blessed to have this opportunity at Northern Lehigh School District.”

“I am thankful to Dr. Link, the administration, and the rest of the search committee for choosing me,” Rush Wallace said. “I am looking forward to this next chapter of my life and eager to become a Bulldog.”

Most recently, Rush Wallace served as the director of athletics at Lehigh Carbon Community College, where she said she was hired in September 2021 to bring athletics back, as it had been suspended due to COVID.

In addition to being the director of athletics at LCCC, Rush Wallace was the Coordinator of Athletics at Penn State Lehigh Valley for three years, and while there, she said her main focus was academics for student-athletes.

Rush Wallace noted that when she started, the cumulative athletic GPA was 2.7, and when she left it was a 3.26.

Prior to Penn State Lehigh Valley, Rush Wallace was the assistant sports information director and head cheerleading coach at Ancilla College of Marian University.

Rush Wallace explained that LCCC made the decision to no longer sponsor intercollegiate athletics after the 2024-2025 academic year, which prompted her to look for alternatives.

“When this position became available, I was excited because Northern Lehigh is a lot like the high school I attended,” she said. “It has an excellent reputation and a supportive environment.”

Rush Wallace explained that once she takes over, her primary responsibilities will be overseeing the athletic department in addition to student activities.

“I believe students being involved help to mold them into well-rounded individuals,” she said. “So many life and transferable skills are learned through athletics and activities such as: time management, organization, and communication.”

Rush Wallace noted that since her background is in higher education, she knows what colleges are looking for and how students can best be prepared for that next step.

“One goal of mine is to continue a strong sense of Bulldog pride,” she said. “I also want to focus on academics, student wellness, and time management, so Northern Lehigh School District produces balanced Bulldogs.”

Rush Wallace graduated from Carmichaels Area Jr/Sr High School, where she played soccer and was a cheerleader.

She then graduated West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies, focusing on Sport and Exercise Psychology, Sociology, and Athletic Coaching Education.

While at West Virginia University, Rush Wallace was a member of the NCAA Division 1 cheer team.

She then continued her education and cheer experience at California University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master’s degree in Exercise Science.

In 2017, Rush Wallace earned a Doctorate of Education, with a specialization in Athletic Administration from Northcentral University.

Rush Wallace will eventually succeed current Northern Lehigh School District athletic director Bryan Geist.

Last month, the school board accepted the retirement resignation of Geist, effective June 30. Geist will retire from the district after 30-and-a-half years.

Geist has met all the criteria as stipulated in the Administrator Compensation Plan for the Middle Level Management team and requested to be included in the Administrator’s Retirement Plan.

Link noted at that time that Geist has served the district in multiple capacities, including as mathematics teacher, department chair, and coach.

Geist, who has served as athletic director for nearly the past 20 years, said at that time he was grateful to the school district for the opportunity to serve.