Colleen Quinn Fink Named Athletic Director & Dean of Cocurricular Programs

Born and raised in suburban Philadelphia, Fink graduated from St. Joseph’s University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and played for its NCAA D1 Women’s Field Hockey team. Her experience as a member of the Hawk Hockey team established the foundation for her coaching career, which she began at the high-school level in 2004. Following four successful seasons as a head field hockey coach at the high-school level, Fink returned to St Joe’s, where she was a successful assistant coach for three seasons, leading daily practice preparation, organizing all recruiting activities, coordinating team fundraising, and engaging alumnae. In 2006, Fink was named Head Field Hockey Coach at Haverford College, where she led the program to its first ever Centennial Conference playoff win. Through this experience, Fink developed important skills working with DIII athletes that complemented her 15 years of leading DI athletes at Penn, along with managing the operations of an Ivy League athletic program. 

“It is a true honor to join The Frederick Gunn School as the next Athletic Director & Dean of Cocurricular Programs at a time when the school finds itself experiencing tremendous growth and momentum, as evidenced by consecutive years of record enrollment and the near completion of a $100 million capital campaign,” Fink said. “It is an exciting time at Gunn as the school is looking to reimagine the athletic side of its campus, while simultaneously continuing to build on the cocurricular successes that have come with the opening of The Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. I am excited to bring my 20-plus years of collegiate-level athletic experience to a community filled with both athletes looking to play at the next level, and those who are looking for team and cocurricular experiences that will become lifelong memories.” 

At Penn, Fink recruited 43 All-Ivy League players, two Ivy League Rookies of the Year, 14 Academic All-Ivy players, and in 2016, tallied the highest fall team GPA at Penn. Under her leadership, Penn Field Hockey finished in the top half of the Ivy League standings in 10 of her final 12 seasons, representing a strong rebuild of the program. Beyond the accomplishments of the individual athletes she coached, Fink contributed to the fundraising of $2 million for capital projects, and led annual efforts to raise $150,000 for the field hockey program. 

“I am forever proud of the accomplishments my teams and coaching staffs achieved at Penn,” she said. “At the core of our successes, it was the people alongside me that made the difference throughout the journey. At the same time, it was orienting our north star around a strategic plan that provided us with ambitious and accountable goals that enabled so much of our success. An energized strategic plan will be at the core of how we move athletics and cocurriculars forward at Gunn. I believe in leading by example with unmatched enthusiasm that will hopefully inspire my colleagues and our students. I cannot wait to get started at Gunn this summer.”

Fink was selected following an intensive nationwide search that drew interest from a range of accomplished applicants. As the next Athletic Director & Dean of Cocurricular Programs, she will lead an ambitious athletic program, while overseeing the entirety of the school’s cocurricular programs, which are at the core of a student’s boarding school experience. Fink will bring an energized and disciplined approach to ensuring that the school’s athletic and cocurricular programs are fully aligned with the school’s mission and values, while simultaneously ensuring that all offerings keep pace with the expectations of Highlander families. 

“Colleen decisively differentiated herself among an incredibly competitive field of candidates for this position,” said Head of School Emily Raudenbush Gum. “Her energy will be contagious across our community, and while many of her attributes were highly valued by our Search Committee, it was her operational experiences at highly selective DI and DIII academic institutions, along with her time leading a club program, that stood out in our process. Colleen truly understands the expectations of highly competitive colleges, the importance of club sports and being aligned with the mission of an institution, while uniquely balancing all of this against what is best for the overall student experience. We cannot wait to put her expertise into practice on our campus and look forward to welcoming her and her family to Gunn this summer.”