Mick Deluca is the 2025 NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award recipient

The NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors is excited to announce Michael ‘Mick’ Deluca, Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Life at UCLA, as the 2025 NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award recipient.  Celebrating the impact of volunteer leaders is a longstanding tradition in NIRSA. The NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award celebrates the extraordinary commitment of those who played a transformative role in supporting the NIRSA Foundation’s mission of advancing the field through scholarship, research, officials’ development, and funding for strategic priority initiatives of NIRSA.

Mick’s impact on the NIRSA Foundation starts at the inception of the Association’s philanthropic vision. In 1991, he was invited to help create a fundraising arm for NIRSA, was part of the team that formed the NIRSA Foundation in 1992 and served as the inaugural Chair of the newly constituted NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors. This strong start under Mick’s leadership laid the groundwork for the NIRSA Foundation to blossom and to sustain growth for over 30 years.

Putting the FUN in fundraising

Mick was also part of the core group that founded the NIRSA Foundation’s annual Golf Tournament fundraiser. This charitable event was a cornerstone appeal for the NIRSA Foundation for many years. His service on the Golf Tournament Committee spanned 20 years.

When sitting NIRSA Foundation Board member Mark Fletcher passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2009, Mick was among the leaders who worked with the NIRSA Foundation to revive a fun run as a fundraiser at the NIRSA Conference to honor and remember Mark. As Mark Fletcher’s first graduate assistant, Mick was mentored by Mark, who took him to his first NIRSA Conference in Philadelphia in 1981.The Mark Fletcher Fun Run and NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament are great examples of Mick’s dedication to creating fun, engaging events that serve a higher purpose.

Honoring our past, engaging the moment, and leading to the future

Mick has remained deeply committed to the NIRSA Foundation, keeping his ardent support for our work even as he has gone on to serve on other NIRSA committees , Boards, and in other volunteer capacities. As the seeds planted for the NIRSA Foundation started to grow, he challenged the NIRSA Foundation to raise $10K from 100 donors and he is credited with bring the the ‘Giving Board’ concept to the NIRSA Conference, as a visible way to honor donors at the Association’s flagship in-person conference. As one of the NIRSA Foundation’s earliest donors, Mick exemplifies a commitment to cultivating a culture of philanthropy.

“Mick is a true NIRSA champion and is especially devoted to every aspect of NIRSA. Dear to my own heart, his commitment to the NIRSA Foundation is unwavering”, says Suzette “Suzi” Smith, this year’s recipient of the NIRSA Honor Award and Director of the Bryan Williams, M.D. Student Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “He has been an incredible ambassador in sharing his own story and why it is important to give back to the Association financially which allows for opportunities for our members,” she adds.

Mick has been a member of NIRSA since 1980. His commitment to NIRSA goes well beyond his involvement with the NIRSA Foundation. The following is a non-exhaustive list of NIRSA committees and leadership roles that Mick has served on; and for many of them, Mick has been a repeat contributor:

• All three boards of the Association: the NIRSA Board of Directors, the NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors, and the NIRSA Services Corporation Board of Directors;
• NIRSA Governance Transition Team;
• Annual Conference Host;
• Founding member of the NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament;
• State Director, the NIRSA Membership Committee;
• the NIRSA Development Committee;
• conference presentations;
• and development of UCLA Recreation Summer Internship program.

Mick is well-recognized as a dedicated, compassionate, and capable leader for the part of the Association responsible for offering development opportunities to students and professionals. His integrity and commitment to the Association’s principles have provided guidance and mentorship to many.

It’s about the people

In his spare time, Mick currently serves on the steering committees of the UCLA Health Campus Committee and the UCLA Sustainability Committee. In prior years, he has served on the National Games Committee for the National Kidney Foundation,  UC Council of Recreation Directors, Pac 12 Recreation Consortium, the Green Sports Alliance, Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education (NASPA), and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).He was also a university lead for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles and plays a key role in the planning of the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

When asked during an interview with GoodCourse what initiative he was most proud of, Mick responded simply, “People. Solving a problem for a person and the success they become because of the problem you helped them solve. I take pride in creating the resources that help folks be their best selves”.

A deserving recipient

Darcy Bingham, co-recipient of the inaugural NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award, emphasized Mick’s reliability when she says that Mick is someone you can “count on to get things done. He knows all about heavy lifting.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by incoming NIRSA Foundation President Demond L. Pryor. “Mick is one of the most respected individuals in our profession. His dedication to the growth and advancement of NIRSA is evident through his commitment to service. Mick is absolutely deserving of this great recognition for his many contributions to the sustained financial strength of our Association,” said incoming NIRSA Foundation President, Demond L. Pryor.

“The NIRSA Foundation plays a pivotal role in advancing campus recreation. The Foundation’s scholarships, research, and resources to support other strategic initiatives over the past 30+ years has accelerated the development of professionals, and the impact of campus recreation. Mick’s leadership as a volunteer, Board Chair, and donor has been instrumental the NIRSA Foundation’s many successes,” says NIRSA Executive Director Pam Watts, CAE.

Mick was recently asked by NIRSA’s History and Legacy Committee to reflect on his term as NIRSA President. Again, he brought his service back around to people: “I’ve had the opportunity to serve and engage at every level of NIRSA…and to contribute and serve and support NIRSA, NIRSA values, and NIRSA’s commitment to staff and student development in a variety of capacities…Through these opportunities, I been able to connect the dots, highlight the intersections, push to see new frontiers, and build a lifetime network of dear colleagues and friends.”

Mick is widely regarded as a dedicated, compassionate, and staunch leader both for the NIRSA Foundation and the Association as a whole. His integrity and unwavering commitment to the Association’s values have offered guidance and mentorship to countless individuals. He is truly deserving of this recognition. Please join us in celebrating Mick Deluca as your 2025 NIRSA Foundation Leadership Award recipient.

Join us in celebrating our newest Foundation Leadership Award recipient at NIRSA 2025

Please join your colleagues in Orlando, FL this April to congratulate Mick at the 2025 NIRSA Conference & Campus Rec Expo, when the official award presentation will take place during the Awards Reception, happening April 26, beginning at 8:30am.