GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves announces departmental staff changes, effective July 1, heading into the 2022-23 academic year.
"The opportunity to adjust and evolve our staff is something I could not be more excited about," said Chaves. "Elevating Erik into the Deputy role as well as identifying Kara and Chad as our core senior management team moving forward will allow us to be at both our best and nimble post pandemic. It also allows us to adjust for others in the department while replacing a senior level position with a sorely needed web services position. Since 2005 when Erik stepped foot on campus, he has earned this elevation through hard work, respect from his colleagues within our department, on campus and in the community. I look forward to continue to watch his growth professionally while having him assist me on a daily basis in leading the department."
Erik Martinson will transition into the new role of Deputy Athletics Director, serving directly beneath Chaves. Martinson has been at North Dakota since he was an undergraduate intern in 2005, working in the business office, game operations and most recently as UND's Associate Athletics Director for Operations since 2018. He will also oversee the department's external operations team.
In his most recent role, Martinson oversaw internal and external facility management and capital projects for the athletics department, game operations for all home competitions, served on senior staff as the sport administrator for hockey, golf and tennis. Martinson has also been selected to the Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee. His appointment runs from September 2020 through August 2024.
Martinson is a graduate of UND and his wife, Natalie, is the current UND Letterwinners Association President. They reside in Grand Forks with their two daughters, Blair and Ellie.
Kara Helmig has been elevated to Senior Associate Athletics Director of Internal Operations. Helmig will continue to oversee the internal operations department, covering all aspects of compliance and academic services. She also serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator on campus as well as sits as the lead for the department's Women's Athletic Leadership Council. Helmig is the sport supervisor for soccer, volleyball and softball. Helmig graduated from Tulane Law School in 2007 with a Juris Doctor and a Sports Law Certificate. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from Notre Dame in 2004.
Joining Helmig at that level is Chad Karthauser, who will serve as a Senior Associate Athletics Director and the department's Chief Financial Officer. Since his hiring in 2020, Karthauser has overseen the department's athletic budget, including Ray Richards Golf Course, all human resource functions for athletics and serves as the secondary sport supervisor for football and men's basketball. Prior to North Dakota, he spent the previous five years at Eastern Washington in a similar role. Karthauser received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics for business and management from Occidental College in 2001 before earning his Master of Education degree in intercollegiate athletic leadership in 2012 from the University of Washington.
Tyler Burmeister joined North Dakota in 2017 and has been elevated to the Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development. There, he will oversee the personal, professional, and leadership development of UND student-athletes. His primary roles include facilitating the student-athlete leadership academy (Hawkademy), serving as an advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Student-Athletes for Inclusion & Diversity groups, assisting student-athletes with their career development, overseeing all community service opportunities and facilitating UNIV 101 courses. Since his time at UND, the department has continuously earned national honors and recognition for service, including leading the nation in community service impact score in 2021-22. This past year, Burmeister and UND launched the NoDak Net app, aimed to serve as an incubator for career development and mentorships between current UND student-athletes and UND athletics alumni. Burmeister earned his undergraduate degree in 2012 from Wisconsin-La Crosse and a graduate degree from Wisconsin in 2016.
Kelsey Wattenhofer will also move into a new role, Director of Learning Enhancement. The first of its kind in the Summit League, she meets directly with student-athletes to better develop learning strategies and create awareness of academic risk factors. Wattenhofer also serves as the academic advisor for the North Dakota football and golf programs. She is a former women's golf student-athlete at Minnesota Morris.
Alec Stocker Johnson steps into an Assistant Athletics Director role, where he will oversee athletic communications and content. There, he will work directly alongside Assistant Athletics Director of Marketing Nicole Letofsky to lead the department's athletic communications for all varsity sports while serving as the primary contact for hockey, men's/women's tennis and all UND-hosted national tournaments. Johnson will also be responsible for managing UND Insider, the department's video content arm. He is a 2017 graduate of North Dakota, where he earned his bachelor's degree in communication and French.
Paul Ralston begins as the Assistant Athletics Director for Broadcast Properties, rounding out the external department's administration. He has been the voice of North Dakota basketball since his hiring in 2006 and has led all broadcasting properties in the department for over a decade. Ralston will continue to handle all broadcast affiliates as well as being the chief liaison for UND's flagship affiliate in Grand Forks. He is a graduate of North Dakota and began his broadcasting career in 1995.
UND also announced the creation of a new position in the external department, Director of Web Services. This role will work directly with Sidearm Sports to help oversee FightingHawks.com as a webmaster and other online duties.
For more information on North Dakota Athletics, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDsports.
