Vanderbilt Makes History with First Female and First African-American Athletic Director in Conference History

History was officially made earlier today when Vanderbilt University interim Chancellor Susan R. Wente announced that Candice Storey Lee has been named interim vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and interim athletic director, effective immediately.

Lee succeeds Malcolm Turner who resigned abruptly on Tuesday.

In a statement released by the university, Wente spoke of Lee and why she has been tabbed to fill the role in the interim.

“Candice embodies the Vanderbilt Way, which is our commitment to ensuring that student-athletes excel on the field of play, academically and in life,” Wente said. “Candice is a trailblazer. Her unparalleled work ethic, energy and vision, and steadfast commitment to the Commodore family will only build on our momentum.”

Lee is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head an SEC athletics program. Lee has served as an integral leader at the university and in Athletics for almost 20 years, most recently serving as deputy director of the program, a role she was appointed to in 2016.

“As someone who can personally appreciate the value of Vanderbilt’s unique student-athlete experience, I can say without reservation that we are building on a storied legacy of excellence and achievement—in athletics and in academics,” Lee said. “Vanderbilt is a special place, and this is a very exciting time—we are charting the future course of Vanderbilt Athletics. I am excited to work with our coaches, our staff and our student-athletes as we move forward.”

As one of her first steps as interim athletic director, Lee will begin working with coaches and other staff members to continue forward with the previously announced plans to launch and implementation of the Strategic Plan for Athletics.

“Candice and I have worked together at Vanderbilt for 18 years. It has been very enjoyable to watch her grow from a model student-athlete to someone who now models the behaviors of a strong leader in college athletics. Where she has shined most is through transitional times in our department,” Head Baseball Coach Tim Corbin said. “Candice is intuitive, communicates extremely well, is unafraid of challenges and operates with great care around people. She is my friend, a trusted colleague and someone I have leaned on through our time here at Vanderbilt. I look forward to working with her in her new role.”

“We’re examining everything we do to support our student-athletes, from improving the fan experience and our facilities to upping our game on fundraising, to developing new partnerships,” Lee said. “The plan will establish the conditions that our student-athletes need, today and in the future, to compete and win at the highest levels.”

“We appreciate Malcolm’s service to the university in support of our student-athletes and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Wente said. “We are grateful for the contributions he has made during his tenure.”

“In a year of change and transition, it’s been a privilege to be a Commodore and witness firsthand the transformative power of the intersection of higher education and athletics. Vanderbilt Athletics has accomplished a great deal during my time at Vanderbilt, and the university’s athletics program and student-athletes are poised for future success,” Turner said. “However, at the onset of this next critical phase of key Athletics initiatives and after considering certain family commitments important to me, I have elected to pursue new opportunities. I fully support what will surely be an exciting next chapter for Vanderbilt Athletics and wish the entire Vanderbilt family the very best going forward. Thank you.”

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