KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan University Vice President and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae announced today the hiring of Debra Boughton as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Boughton joins the Broncos following an accomplished tenure as Deputy Director of Athletics/Internal Operations/CFO at Marshall University, bringing over two decades of leadership and strategic experience in collegiate athletics.

In her new role, Boughton will oversee budget management, financial operations, and business services for WMU Athletics. She will also provide administrative oversight of the equipment operations unit and serve as sport administrator for select programs. Her extensive experience in budget management, fiscal responsibility, and university financial policies and procedures, combined with her background in sport supervision and operational leadership, will further strengthen WMU's commitment to comprehensive excellence across all areas of the department.

"Our industry continues to evolve, as do the dynamic nature of our expenses and revenue opportunities, said Bartholomae. "Among those will be the opening of a transformative facility in the Kalamazoo Events Center.  We are thrilled to be adding someone with Debra's expertise not only within intercollegiate athletics, but also as a skilled strategic thinker overseeing our future financial operations.  It is exciting to welcome a well-respected leader with such broad expertise and experience to our senior team."

At Marshall, Boughton guided internal operations and strategic planning while managing the day to day internal operations for the department. She also served as sport administrator for volleyball, softball, and both men's and women's soccer. She played a pivotal role in enhancing the department's operational structure, launching innovative initiatives such as HerdZone+, and driving new revenue and efficiency models to support long-term growth.

Prior to her time with the Thundering Herd, Boughton spent more than a decade at Northern Illinois University, where she served in multiple senior leadership capacities, including Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Woman Administrator. At NIU, she directed all revenue generation and strategic planning initiatives, led hosting efforts for NCAA Championships, secured transformational gifts, and implemented department-wide technology upgrades. Her leadership was recognized with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Athena Award and NIU's Women Who Make a Difference honor.

"Collegiate athletics is evolving rapidly, and it is critical to have inspired leadership that continues to believe in the value a great athletic program can have on the academy and the student-athletes we serve. I'm thrilled to represent WMU at this time because of the leadership that is here and their belief in what we can accomplish together," said Boughton. "I am committed to managing fiscal priorities in a way that supports both long-term sustainability and competitive excellence. Strategic financial stewardship—a pillar of our Raising the Stakes initiative—is essential to ensuring our programs thrive and our student-athletes and teams have the resources they need to succeed."

Boughton has also been a respected voice in the collegiate athletics landscape, having served on NCAA committees, university governance councils, and community boards. Known for her emphasis on equity, innovation, and student-athlete success, she has built a national reputation as a strategic leader committed to advancing collegiate athletics through collaboration and accountability.

Boughton's career began in athletics administration at Texas State University and Ohio University, following an early professional foundation in public accounting with Arthur Andersen LLP. A Certified Public Accountant, she holds a Master's in Sports Administration from Ohio University and dual degrees in Accounting from Trinity University, where she was an NCAA Postgraduate Scholar and standout soccer student-athlete.