BEVERLY, Mass. — The Conference of New England (CNE) is thrilled to announce Interim Commissioner Julie Beer has been appointed as the league’s Commissioner, effective Monday, January 5th. Beer has held the post with an interim title since September 15, and will become the league’s third full-time Commissioner since the position was created in 2007.
“The CNE Board of Directors is excited that Julie will be leading our conference as its next commissioner. Her commitment to the student-athlete experience, to the success of our conference and its member institutions, and to DIII athletics in general will help ensure our continued success, especially as we move forward with the implementation of our recently developed strategic plan,” said Marisa Kelly, President of Suffolk University and current CNE board chair.
Beer joined the CNE back in January of 2025 as the league’s Associate Commissioner/Senior Woman Administrator. In the role, Beer had oversight over Conference sport administration and championship operations while liaising with the Conference’s senior woman administrators and student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC). She was also in charge of crafting recommendations to the athletic directors as they relate to the strategic vision of the league and implementing them accordingly.
“First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Marisa Kelly and the search committee for the opportunity to continue serving the Conference of New England as its Commissioner,” said Beer. “It has been a privilege to work alongside our member institutions during my time as Interim Commissioner, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me to lead the conference moving forward. The Conference of New England has built strong momentum through a recent period of success, grounded in collaboration, excellence, and competitive integrity. My focus remains on sustaining that progress, strengthening our collective identity, and ensuring the CNE continues to compete at the highest level regionally and nationally.”
Prior to joining the CNE, Beer was the Assistant Athletic Director/SWA at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. Beer joined the JWU (Providence) athletic department in the fall of 2022. Beer was responsible for all student programming and oversaw all aspects of the athletic department’s end-of-the-year banquet. She was also the sport supervisor for several athletic programs.
Beer joined JWU following four years at Clark (MA) University, where she served as the women's lacrosse coach and also worked with alumni outreach.
A 2007 graduate of Clark with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature, Beer won three Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Women's Lacrosse Championships at Centre College (2012, 2014, 2017) and was named the SAA Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2014. She also spent seven seasons as an assistant field hockey coach, helping the Colonels make two NCAA Tournament appearances.
From there, Beer moved on to Anna Maria College and was an Assistant Athletic Director, SWA, and head women's lacrosse coach. She supervised six head coaches at AMC and assisted with budgeting, travel, equipment, scheduling, and game management. Beer also created and executed plans for fan engagement and oversaw a rebrand of AMC athletics, including the unveiling of an online store.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 21 intercollegiate sports.