Jim Jackson Outstanding Service Award Winner

After graduating high school, Tracy Swisher (“T-Swish”) entered the United States Navy as an Ocean Systems Technician localizing and tracking submarines from shore installations using the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) for 20 years. While stationed at his first duty station in Alaska, Tracy met and married his wife, Debbie, in 1983.

Upon retiring from the Navy, Tracy enrolled at Clackamas Community College (ClCC) in 2002. Shortly after earning his computer science degree in 2005, then ClCC Athletic Director, Jim Jackson, hired Swisher as the school’s Sports Information Director. Tracy faithfully served SID duties for the Cougars from 2005-2017. While working for Clackamas, Tracy was hired by the NWAC in 2006 in a part-time role to assist in publishing conference sports information as well as being the league’s championships photographer. In 2013, he was brought on full time as the NWAC Sports Information Director.

Swisher quickly hit the road running in 2006 with a comprehensive update to the antiquated league website by installing a databased system that allowed schools to input sports scores and reports instantly following the completion of events. The website also included season team and player stats as well as the ability for schools to submit online accepted Letter of Intents.

In 2017, after much research, Tracy moved the entire NWAC website to the current PrestoSports website that allowed for even quicker and smoother sports reporting with live scores and stats. His move to the PrestoSports content management system also benefitted the entire conference as schools no longer had to purchase stat program licenses since the Presto network incorporated online, easy to learn statistical software. The website also allowed his office colleagues to be able to step in and assist in publishing information without the need to understand website programming.

When the conference rebranded from the NWAACC to NWAC in 2015, Tracy designed the current NWAC logo used today. He was also a major contributor in selecting weekly player of the week selections for most of the league’s sports. Prior to his retirement, he also worked with athletic directors across the conference to select an All-Decade team, the first of its kind in league history.

Since retiring in 2021 from the NWAC, Tracy stays involved in the NWAC by volunteering his time and travels to Conference championships to provide event music and photography when needed. He is known for his loyalty, trustworthiness, being a great teammate, his willingness to serve, and always trying to promote NWAC student athletes and the Conference in a positive light. Tracy always gave more than what was and is expected. Tracy and his wife Debbie, who is also retired from the Navy, have been married 43 years. They have two grown children and became grandparents for the first time in May.