Conference Office Staff
Assistant Commissioner of Operations
Carol LaBelle-Ehrhardt
As Assistant Commissioner of Operations for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Carol LaBelle-Ehrhardt plays a crucial role in the multiple and day-to-day functions of the league and it's administrative office. She marks her 10th year with the conference in 2007-08.
LaBelle-Ehrhardt directly assists Commissioner Bruce McLeod with a wide range of duties in the overall management of both the men's and women's leagues. She is the WCHA's business manager, serves as Tournament Director for the highly-successful men's WCHA Final Five, handles eligibility record-keeping and student-athlete screening, coordinates league scheduling, and handles the set-up of numerous meetings and events - including the league's annual meeting.
In 2003, LaBelle-Ehrhardt - in conjunction with the WCHA - was awarded the (2002) Tourism Ambassador Award for St. Paul, Minn. The award recognizes the league as a whole, and LaBelle individually, for the on-going promotion and support of the St. Paul community and work with local merchants in relation to the WCHA Final Five. As Tournament Director for the Final Five, LaBelle-Ehrhardt has been partnering with the St. Paul community and meeting with local merchants the past seven years to create a mini-vacation for Final Five attendees.
Prior to joining the conference full-time, LaBelle-Ehrhardt was an Assistant to the Athletic Director at the University of Denver for five years.
A graduate of the University of Denver, LaBelle-Ehrhardt and her husband, Mark Ehrhardt, live in Colorado. Carol is mother to married daughter Shaina and son, Brenton, and is also the stepmother to Tera and Tyler. She also has two new additions to her family, a cocker spaniel (Gemini) and a springer spaniel (Phoenix).
Associate Commissioner
Sara R. Martin
Marking her ninth year as Associate Commissioner with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in 2007-08 is Sara R. Martin, who has served as the league's women's commissioner since it's founding in July, 1999. Among her primary responsibilities is overseeing the continuing development, administration and functions of the women's conference.
Martin has been extensively involved with college hockey over the past 16 years. She served as tournament director of the WCHA Final Five Playoff Championship in 1994, 1996 and 1998. She was the tournament manager for the 1997 NCAA Div. 1 Men's Hockey Championship held at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisc., and was the assistant tournament manager for the 1993 NCAA Div. 1 Men's Hockey Championship, also held in Milwaukee. She was also the tournament manager for the 1995 and 1999 NCAA Div. 1 Men's Ice Hockey West Regionals, held in Madison, Wisc.
Prior to assuming her duties with the WCHA, Martin worked at the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department from 1990-99. She began as an administrative assistant to the associate athletic director and moved into the department of facilities and events in 1995. In 1997 she became the Event Manager at the Kohl Center, where she stayed until June of 1999. While at Wisconsin, Martin was the tournament director for the Bank One Badger Hockey Showdown, held each December at the Bradley Center.
A native of Sheboygan, Wisc., Martin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1990 and a Master of Arts in Sportsw Administration from Minnesota State University in 1993.
Sara and her husband, Bruce, make their home in Middleton, Wisc.
Supervisor of Officials
Greg Shepherd
A veteran and highly-respected collegiate ice hockey official with with more than a quarter century of service to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Greg Shepherd was appointed Supervisor of Officials by Commissioner Bruce McLeod in 1994. The 2007-08 season marks his 13th with the conference in that capacity.
Coordinating officiating for both the men's and women's leagues, and long recognized as one of the top on-ice officials in college hockey, Shepherd has brought a wealth of expertise and experience to his position with the WCHA. He is respected by both his officiating colleagues as well as coaches and players across the country. Among the thousands of college hockey games Shepherd has refereed are eight NCAA Frozen Four championships.
Shepherd was a 36-year employee of Xcel Energy, in St. Paul, Minn., where he worked in Gas Construction. He was a former City Council person in West St. Paul, Minn., and served in the Armed Forces with the United States Navy from 1967-69.
Greg and his wife, Nancy, live in West St. Paul and are the parents of three children - Derek, Tiffany, and Brad. His two sons, Derek and Brad, have followed in their Dad's footsteps and both are now respected referees in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Shepherds are also the proud grandparents to eight grandchildren - Austyn, Madison, Cameron, Lauren, Gabby Rose, Anthony, Joe and Ryan.
Associate Commissioner for Public Relations
Doug Spencer
Marking his 22nd season overall, and 18th full-time, with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in 2007-08 is Doug Spencer. The WCHA's Associate Commissioner for Public Relations, Spencer has promoted and publicized college hockey's most historic and successful league over three decades.
He has also been involved in publicizing and promoting college hockey for 30-plus seasons dating to the 1970s, when he first started as a student assistant in the SID office of his alma mater, Western Michigan University.
For the WCHA, Spencer coordinates public and media information needs, assists in the general administration of the WCHA Final Five and the league's international tours, produces numerous publications for both the men's and women's leagues, issues regular press releases and statistics, maintains historical playing records, oversees the league's web site and weekly radio show, and coordinates the league's post-season and player of the week awards.
Prior to coming to the WCHA, Spencer had tenures as an Assistant SID at Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Wisconsin and was also a staff member at the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) where he served as Publicity & Publications Director and Editorial Director of American Hockey & Arena Magazine.
Born in East Lansing, Mich., Spencer earned his B.A. from WMU in 1976. He and his wife, Caroline, live in Madison with their two children - Connor and Maggie.
Assistant to the Commissioner
Jeff Sauer
One of the most successful and distinguished coaches in the history of college hockey, the 'retired' Jeff Sauer now continues to serve the WCHA as Assistant to the Commissioner. With the WCHA, his duties include league compliance, special projects, NCAA Rules, and support for the league's Supervisor of Officials within both the women's and men's leagues.
In addition to his work with the conference office, Sauer is involved with preparing and coaching a team of deaf hockey players that will participate in the Winter Deaf Olympics to be held in Salt Lake City (UT) in Feb., 2007. This marks the fifth Olympic team he has been involved with and the teams have won a medal in each of the the last four straight years.
Over 36 seasons as a Div. 1 college hockey coach, Sauer recorded an amazing 655 victories (ranks 7th all-time) between 1971 and 2002 while heading up the teams at both Colorado College and the University of Wisconsin. He was twice named WCHA Coach of the Year, won national championships as coach of the Badgers in both 1983 and 1990, won WCHA regular season titles and MacNaughton Cups with Wisconsin in both 1989-90 and 1999-2000, and guided his teams to six WCHA playoff championships and Broadmoor trophies. In addition, Sauer earned the John 'Snooks' Kelley Founders Award from the AHCA in 2003, presented to individuals in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States.
Jeff and his wife, Jamie, reside in Middleton, Wisc., and are the parents of married son, Chip, and married daughter, Beth.
Women's Public Relations
Bill Brophy
Bill Brophy marks his second season as Public Relations Director for the women's league, but he has a wealth of experience in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Brophy has covered the WCHA since 1974. He spent five years covering high school and college hockey for the Duluth News-Tribune from 1973 to 1978. Brophy served as the University of Wisconsin beat reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison from 1978 until 1984 before serving as the State Journal sports editor until 1996. He also served as the radio analyst on Badger hockey from 1991 until 2003.
For ten years, Brophy was the communications director for the Diocese of Madison and most recently has done television work for "When We Were Young," which produces high school sports for Fox Sports North.
A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Brophy earned his bachelor's degree from the College of St. Thomas. He is the father of two daughters, Katie and Kelly, and makes his home in Madison, Wis.
