Pam Watts is the Executive Director for NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, which comprises nearly 4,500 dedicated professionals, students and businesses on nearly 900 campuses serving an estimated 8.1 million college students throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to the learning, networking, and advocacy programs of a typical association, NIRSA owns the NIRSA Championship Series, a four-sport regional and national tournament series, and operates a campus activations program in partnership with Wasserman NextGen.

Pam was a key contributor to NIRSA’s transition to a ‘Future First’ governance model. She led the effort to position the field as a driving force and relentless collaborator for health and wellbeing in higher education.  She works closely with the NIRSA, NIRSA Foundation, and NIRSA Services Corporation Boards of Directors to actuate the aligned strategic plan of all three entities in service to members.

Pam is a Certified Association Executive and in her role as NIRSA’s Executive Director she served as the Chair of the Council for Higher Education Management Association’s Steering Committee; as a member of the American Council on Exercise’s Industry Advisory Panel; and on the Advisory Council for the Healthy Campus Initiative in the University of California System. She recently served as President of the Physical Activity Alliance after many years of serving as their Treasurer. Pam' is on the Advisory Board for the Institute for Wellbeing at Butler University and recently concluded her term as Vice-President of the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification Board of Directors.

A former CPA, Pam worked in public accounting and for public and private businesses before joining NIRSA in 2000. In her tenure with the Association she served as NIRSA's second-in-command until assuming the Executive Directorship in early 2012.