Inauguration Week: Steinbrecher to Speak at Celebrate D&E’s Athletics

Davis & Elkins College alumnus and former trustee Hank Steinbrecher will be the featured speaker for Celebrate D&E’s Athletics, the focus of the second day of inauguration week activities, at 7 p.m. Monday, March 27 in Myles Center for the Arts. Following the theme of “The Journey” for the inauguration of Davis & Elkins College’s 15th president Chris A. Wood, Steinbrecher’s speech is titled “Lessons Learned from My Journey.”

The week-long celebration of Davis & Elkins College, March 26-30, will lead up to Wood’s inauguration at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. The events, all free and open to the public, showcase D&E’s spiritual life, athletics, arts and academics.

A 1971 graduate and celebrated athlete at D&E, Steinbrecher went on earn a master’s degree in education from West Virginia University and built a career in soccer as both a coach and administrator.

In his speech, Steinbrecher will reflect on his life, sharing anecdotes from lessons he’s learned at D&E and in business.

“These are stories of life experiences, what I call the eight lessons I’ve come to know,” Steinbrecher said, citing a couple of the topics, “Smart is Just a Start” and “Hard Work Ain’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be.”

“The bottom line is, combine all of these with integrity and get the next generation right,” he said.

As secretary general of U.S. Soccer from 1990-2000, Steinbrecher was instrumental in bringing soccer to prominence in the United States and oversaw the staging of two of the most successful Men’s and Women’s World Cups in the United States.

During his career, he also directed sports marketing for Gatorade and coached for soccer programs at Warren Wilson College, Appalachian State University and Boston University.

Steinbrecher was a member of D&E’s 1970 NAIA national championship soccer team. He is a founding member of Friends of Senator Soccer and works to support the College’s athletic program. In 2013, he was among the group of soccer alumni honored with the College’s Tower Award in recognition of their devotion to raising funds for a new synthetic surface soccer/lacrosse field.

Steinbrecher has received many accolades for his success in soccer including induction into the D&E Athletic Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Werner Fricker Award and induction into the first class of the West Virginia Soccer Association Hall of Fame.

“I just want to share lessons from my journey and show everyone how it can help them in the future,” Steinbrecher said.

Events for inauguration week are: Celebrate D&E’s Community Service and Worship on Sunday, March 26, Celebrate D&E’s Athletics on Monday, March 27, Celebrate D&E’s Arts on Tuesday, March 28, and Celebrate D&E’s Academics on Wednesday, March 29. Various events fill Inauguration Day, Thursday, March 30, beginning with a lecture by alumnus and Trustee David Morrison, ’79, at 11 a.m. in Robbins Memorial Chapel, the dedication of the Morrison-Novakovic Center for Faith and Public Policy at noon, and the inauguration ceremony at 4:30 p.m. in Myles Center for the Arts Harper-McNeeley Auditorium.

A native of Huntington, W.Va., Wood was named to D&E’s presidency in June and assumed the duties on August 1. Wood, his wife, Lisa, and their two daughters, Lacey and Lexi, along with their miniature schnauzer puppies reside at Hearthstone.

Prior to coming to D&E, Wood was vice president for advancement at Wesley College in Dover, Del. He also has worked as vice president for advancement at the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, N.C., executive director of Mission West Virginia Inc., and as an ordained United Methodist pastor, served congregations in Illinois and Maryland.

 Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, 2 hours east of Charleston, 3 hours south of Pittsburgh and 4 hours west of Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit the College website at www.dewv.edu or call 304-637-1243.