Richard Konzem, Director of Athletics
 Richard Konzem became the new director of athletics at Rockhurst University on Nov. 30, 2007. He is the fourth full-time director of athletics since 1941.
Konzem previously served as director of athletics at Benedictine College, an NAIA school in Atchison, Kan., for 18 months. He directed an athletic department consisting of 17 sports and 475 student-athletes at Benedictine.
Prior to joining Benedictine, Konzem served 23 years in various capacities at the University of Kansas, including interim director of Athletics in 2001. He was an integral part of the KU athletics staff during six NCAA Final Four appearances in basketball, three bowl games and a College World Series in both baseball and softball.
As senior associate athletic director at KU, Konzem’s accomplishments included supervising men’s and women's basketball, football, baseball, the Williams Educational Fund with $5 million in annual scholarship donations, athletic ticket staff, and the events and facilities staff.
Konzem serves on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He recently completed terms on the Sunflower State Games Board of Directors, the United Way of Douglas County and the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Konzem and his wife, Debbie, chaired the 2006 United Way Campaign in Lawrence, raising $1.65 million.
A native of Salina, Kan., Konzem received a bachelor's degree in business at the University of Kansas and a master's degree in sports administration at the University of Southern California.
Konzem is married to Debbie Vignatelli, Vice-President of AT&T – Kansas, and has two children: Scott, who works for the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. and Sally, who is a freshman at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.
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