WATERVILLE — She loves her home state, but there’s something in Maine that’s been calling Amanda V. DeMartino’s name.

A New Jerseyan born and raised, DeMartino has only had so many opportunities as an avid outdoorswoman. In the Pine Tree State, though? There’s an endless supply of them.

“We certainly don’t have the same natural beauty as they do in Maine,” DeMartino said. “A lot of people have been telling me all about the great lake areas, and obviously, the coast is so beautiful. … Maine in general is such a beautiful state, but there’s no doubt that Colby (College) is a jewel in the center there.”

There’s plenty of those opportunities for her now with Maine now DeMartino’s new home — and a new chapter of her professional life as well with Colby her new employer. The school announced Wednesday the hiring of DeMartino as its next athletic director after a two-month search.

DeMartino was previously the athletic director at The College of New Jersey, a position she held since 2017. She replaces Michael Wisecup, who stepped down at Colby this summer after serving in the role since October 2019.

“Amanda is a proven leader with an impressive history of success,” Colby President David A. Greene said in a statement. “Colby has made important strides in athletics and recreation in recent years, and Amanda has the experience and skills to take our programs to the next level. We can’t wait to welcome her to campus.”

A 2006 graduate of Brandeis University, where she played basketball, DeMartino continued down the path of an athletic career soon after graduating. She was named head women’s basketball coach at Northwood University in Florida in 2008 and, three years later, athletic director at Raritan Community College in her native New Jersey.

DeMartino then left six years later for TCNJ, whose teams made five national semifinals, won 19 New Jersey Athletic Conference titles and produced four individual national champions during her seven-year tenure. In 2022, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named her Division III Athletic Director of the Year.

In Colby, DeMartino sees a new opportunity. DeMartino cited the school’s growth under President Greene over the past decade as part of the school’s appeal. She also spoke highly of the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, which she said was a factor in taking the job.

“It certainly was a part of (my decision to come),” DeMartino said. “It’s a very, very impressive facility — one of the best in the country, I believe. It’s not just the facility itself, but I think it represents even more so the commitment to the student experience and really wanting not just the student-athletes but the student body in general and the campus community to have a place to thrive athletically.”

One of the biggest keys to being a successful athletic director, DeMartino said, is having a supportive staff, something she had at TCNJ and already can tell she’ll have at Colby. Matt Proto, Colby’s senior vice president and chairman of the search committee, said as much, remarking in a statement that DeMartino “impressed the search committee with her unique combination of strategic vision, continual execution and ability to support members of her team.”

DeMartino, who will continue her duties at TCNJ through the end of the month, will begin at Colby on Oct. 7. In the meantime, Casie Runksmeier will continue to serve as Colby’s interim athletic director.