Mike Keup has been a dedicated employee of Bradley University since 1998, when he was hired as the director of Intramural and Recreational Sports, now the Campus Recreation Department. He ran the entire department and was accountable for all of its programs until an assistant director joined the team in 2008. He currently oversees all programs and events occurring at any campus recreation facility or in the arena.

Since 2002, Keup had been involved in the planning of a new recreation facility on campus at Bradley University. When the Markin Family Student Recreation Center opened in 2008, the amount of attention paid to his department increased exponentially, and Keup has risen to the occasion.

Because of his successful management of the Markin Center, Keup was asked to manage yet another state-of-the-art facility—the new on-campus arena—in 2009. He gladly accepted the extra responsibilities and was named executive director of Campus Recreation and Athletic Facilities.

When the executive director of the Center for Student Involvement, to whom Keup had previously reported, retired earlier this year, Keup’s record of leadership made him the overwhelming choice to take over as interim executive director of the department. As such, he added the oversight of campus recreation, student activities and multicultural student services—three very large and integral parts of student life on Bradley’s campus—to his duties.

That he was promoted twice within a single year speaks volumes of the leadership that Bradley’s administration feels Keup provides. This August, he was presented with the university’s President’s Award, recognizing his extraordinary service to the university that goes above and beyond the norm. In 2009, the Campus Recreation Department received the Helen Bartlett Award for its service excellence.

Not only a leader in his professional duties on campus, Keup also serves as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Bishop Hill, and manages 5K races to raise money for charitable causes. He volunteers with and contributes to habitat conservation efforts through various groups such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, and has been an advisor for the Bradley University Sportsman’s Club since its inception.

In 2002, Keup was recognized by Special Olympics for his efforts in supporting the organization’s indoor sports festival. He is an accomplished wheelchair basketball official and has served as president of the National Wheelchair Basketball Officials’ Association, as well as on several of the organization’s committees. He has also served as a basketball officials evaluator for the Missouri Valley Conference. iBi