DeZeeuw, Johnston Honored by CSU Administrative Professional Council

Going above and beyond is their nature. Doing so while directing the spotlight elsewhere is how they've always operated.

Yet with all they've done for the athletics department, Terry DeZeeuw and Marcie Johnston were destined to have one day to dodge the praise coming their way, with both being recognized by the Colorado State Administrative Professional Council on April 27.

DeZeeuw, the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Health and Performance was named one of five Distinguished AP awardees on the day, while Johnston – currently the director of operations for women's basketball -- was named an AP Shining Star, one of eight on campus so honored.

The awards are presented annually to celebrate the accomplishments of administrative professionals across campus specifically for their service to the campus the current calendar year, but often value a long run of exceptional devotion to the university.

DeZeeuw began his tenure at CSU as the head athletic trainer in 2006 and was eventually promoted for the first time in 2012. Those who nominated him painted a picture of a person who is extremely devoted to the care of the student-athletes on campus, knowing he would do his best do deflect any and all credit to the staff he oversees in health and performance.

"I think we all know nobody accomplishes anything by themselves. We are so fortunate we have so many talented people across the board in the medical space and health and performance," DeZeeuw said. "It's the team physicians and our support staff in athletic training, sports medicine and athletic trainers. It's just an awesome crew. It makes it easy when you have great people."

Somebody has to lead, and those who spearheaded his nomination show great admiration for the work he's done specifically as well the structure he has created over the years, a blueprint which helped guide his staff and the student-athletes through some very trying times the past four years.

Joe Parker, the Director of Athletics, doesn't believe the department's student-athletes could be in better hands.

"Terry DeZeeuw is very likely the best person I've ever dealt with in the space he leads. He has built an extraordinary model at Colorado State to tend to the well-being of our student-athletes," Parker said. "That's inclusive of the partnerships he's forged with OCR and UCHealth and campus resources. He approaches every day with one thing at the front of his mind and that is how he can ensure the care of our student-athletes is absolutely first class."

The key for him has always been centered on building relationships.

It's been his calling card since he entered the field professionally, a skill which has been expanded from getting to know the athletes he guides through medical needs to the professionals he has hired and mentored in his current role as the lead of the department. Those who work with him understand he finds it paramount to achieve their ultimate duty.

"The staff absolutely takes great pride in their work. Every one of our health and performance team members has an active role in helping student-athletes not only have a great experience, but also navigate some pretty formative years as they come from high school to the professional world," he said. "The staff not only manages their professional areas, but they end up being great resources, sounding boards and support systems for all of our students. That's the piece I think everyone of us gets into this for: It's truly about our student-athletes and trying to provide the best experience for them."

Marcie Johnston

Which is what Johnston has always sought to do since joining the athletic department in 1997. Originally hired as an assistant for the athletic director, she soon moved to the football office, spending the majority of her 26 years with the program, aiding five head coaches in all starting with Sonny Lubick. She spent a stint as the director of operations for all Olympic sports before rejoining the women's basketball staff.

"I am the luckiest person on campus. Over the last 26 years, I have had the privilege to come to work every day and work alongside the most amazing coaches, student athletes and colleagues," Johnston said. "People who I have learned from, people who have shaped my thinking, people who care about one another no matter what the scoreboard reflects. They are family. It means the world to me to be recognized by my peers – their diversity of culture, their styles and their points of view make them the greatest people I have the privilege to call my colleagues, and friends. I am truly blessed."
No matter what team she served, the entire department came to rely on her as a resource for everything. She has been a sounding board for new head coaches, young assistants and every director of operations who has sought out her guidance. And if rumor hit her desk somebody was struggling with something, she would seek them out.

Virtually every employment contract contains the line "other duties as assigned." Some will spend their careers avoiding the meaning, but Johnston has embraced it as if it were a primary duty because the athletic department has meant so much to her.

Nobody benefits more from that level of dedication than the players she has come to know throughout her career.

"I absolutely love Marcie. She means everything to the program," Cailyn Crocker said. "Marcie is more than just our director of basketball operations; she is a second mom and a strong woman figure in all of our lives. She always instills love and respect in us and keeps us going through the long season. She makes sure we have what we need and more. The program wouldn't be what it is without her."

A sentiment she flips, saying she wouldn't be the person she is without the athletic department and the people who guided her and molded the level of professionalism and dedication she exhibits.

Her list of mentors is a Who's Who of the department history, as well as a large number of people who never held a "title," yet still left an indelible impact on her process. To this day, she is motivated to pay those lessons forward.

These are people she knows better as friends, which is how she's viewed in the McGraw Center.

"I am always willing to spend the time with others to help educate and excel in their skill set - with the hope of making things better. Sometimes, that gets lost in the world of athletics when the bottom line is wins and losses, but it does not get lost on me," she said. "I am forever grateful for the relationships. It's my "why", and I thank Colorado State and CSU athletics for an incredible experience."

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