PSU Campus Rec director will continue university work while taking on new position
Alex Accetta, current director of Portland State’s Campus Rec, has been elected as one of seven board members of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Assocation. Headquarterd in Corvallis, NIRSA was founded in 1950. According to the association’s website, the organization includes nearly 4,000 professional, student and associate members and serves universities throughout the U.S., Canada and other countries.
As the at-large director, Accetta will act as a representative to and for the NIRSA Board of Directors, propose an operating budget and approve new or revised policies. He will also convene and preside over association assembly meetings.
Accetta will continue with his current duties as Campus Rec director, primarily focused on promoting health awareness on campus, encouraging healthy lifestyles and helping students achieve their goals. “Basically, my job is to make sure everything goes well,” Accetta said. “We create a place for students to succeed.”
Accetta has been involved in health and recreation for 11 years. Before he became the Campus Rec director, Accetta worked at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he had a variety of unique experiences, such as helping put together a Third Eye Blind concert and also meeting actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Charlie Bacon.
Accetta later moved onto Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. There he was a women’s cross country coach, and his team qualified for the NCAA championship.
Since coming to PSU, Accetta has been dedicated to the Rec Center and even helped build it. “Building the student Rec Center is the number one thing. That’s the biggest accomplishment,” Accetta said.
At PSU, Accetta has developed a solid reputation as a dedicated and friendly role model. According to Rec Center office assistant Hannah Muller, “[Accetta’s] a polite and considerate person…a vibrant model to be associated with in the work environment.”
“Every student I know has admired him all the while he’s helping students grow,” said PSU’s Director of Marketing Julie Smith.
Accetta also strongly enjoys working with his staff in the Rec Center and is close with them, considering them family. “After 10 years, we still get along and work well. It’s pretty cool,” he said. “The staff are the ones who make it work.”
Among his colleagues, Accetta is admired for his dedication and methods. “He has a really spearheaded attitude. He’s an advocate for health and safety,” Smith said.
Directing the campus Rec Center and encouraging healthy lifestyles isn’t Accetta’s only job—he also mentors students. Accetta often makes sure his students stay on top of their schoolwork and works to develop them into leaders. “Part of our job is to help student employees to be ready for the real world,” he said. “We’re here to help students graduate.”
Accetta also encourages his students to be more active, based on research that students are happier and more successful academically when they are more physically active. “It’s about linking health, recreation and academics. It’s about being a good human being,” Accetta said.
Outside of his official director duties, Accetta teaches spinning classes at PSU and coaches his two sons’ baseball teams. He also has been a disc jockey for weddings and high school proms.
Currently, Accetta is organizing two events: The first is a wheelchair basketball tournament on May 1, and the second event is a wellness fair outside the Rec Center from noon–2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9. The wellness fair currently has 500 people participating. “We believe in healthy lifestyles, and that helps students be happier,” Accetta said, regarding the health fair.
For the future, Accetta hopes to continue bringing wellness to PSU. He would also like to link recreation and wellness together, as well as collaborating with the Center for Student Health and Counseling. “There’s a lot more to learn and a lot more to do,” Accetta said.
