Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  Elizabeth Sullivan, who has served for the past two seasons as an assistant women’s cross country coach at Massachusetts Maritime, has been promoted to the position of Head Women’s Cross Country Coach at the Academy.  Sullivan’s appointment, which is effective immediately, was announced earlier today by Buccaneer Director of Athletics Garin Veris.

A resident of Plymouth, Mass., Sullivan served as an assistant to former Massachusetts Maritime mentor Trish O’Brien, who resigned from the Academy in March for a new position with the City of Salem, Mass., for both the 2014 and 2015 campaigns.  Sullivan first arrived on Taylor’s Point as a cadet in 1998 and was a four-year letterwinner in cross country, as Elizabeth earned a bachelor’s degree in Marine Safety & Environmental Protection from Massachusetts Maritime in 2002.  She has helped the Buccaneers post 10 top-10 finishes in competition during her tenure as an assistant, including third place performances in the season-opening Travis Fuller Invitational in both campaigns.

“I’m extremely excited that Elizabeth will lead our women’s cross country program, as her experience both as a student-athlete and coach here at the Academy will greatly benefit our cadets,” Veris said of Sullivan’s appointment.  “Her familiarity with our institution, coupled with her own high standards for excellence and achievement, will undoubtedly serve our student-athletes well, and I couldn’t be more pleased that she will play a large role in our department’s future.”

Sullivan serves in the full-time position as Assistant Town Administrator for the Town of Dennis, where she helps coordinate the planning, administration and management of daily operations.  She previously served as Special Assistant to the Town Manager of Plymouth for just over two years, and prior to that position Elizabeth served as Plymouth’s Conservation Planner as well as Natural Resource Officer in the Town of Falmouth.  Sullivan earned a master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University in 2013.

“It’s a great honor for me to have the opportunity not only to coach outstanding student-athletes, but to do so at a place that holds so many special memories for me personally,” Sullivan said of her appointment.  “I’m grateful to Garin Veris and the entire Academy administration for placing their trust and confidence in me, and I’m looking forward to a very bright future for our program.”

Massachusetts Maritime begins the 2016 season on Saturday, September 10^th by heading to Biddeford, Maine for the University of New England Invitational.