On June 1, 2021, Foti Mellis became just the second executive director in MPSF history. He replaced Al Beaird, who retired after 24 years at the helm of the conference.
Mellis brings over 30 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics to the MPSF. He served various leadership roles at the University of California from 2002-2019, most recently as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Intercollegiate Services. A member of the Director’s Cabinet, Mellis was responsible for the overall delivery of a world-class student-athlete experience and all activities which directly impacted Cal’s ability to serve its student-athletes. In addition, he had oversight of the Sport Operations and Championships unit, as well as Student-Athlete Development. During his tenure, Mellis supervised 23 of the 30 sports at Cal, most recently the men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and softball programs. Mellis was responsible for the supervision of Capital Projects and was a key member of the team who oversaw successful completion of California Memorial Stadium and the Simpson Center. Upon his initial arrival in Berkeley, he was instrumental in the restructuring of the Compliance Services Unit in 2002 and Student-Athlete Development in 2006.
In 2017, Mellis was one of 25 senior-level athletic administrators from across the country who was selected to participate in the NCAA Pathway Program, designed to provide aspiring athletic directors with the skills and knowledge of fulfilling his or her career goal.
Mellis spent 1998-2002 as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Arizona State. He oversaw all areas of compliance with the Sun Devils’ 22 athletic teams. Among his additional responsibilities were coordinating a rules education program for athletic department staff and boosters, creating a compliance system manual, and organizing agent education for ASU student-athletes. Prior to his tenure in Tempe, Mellis spent two years at the University of Tulsa, where he held the title of Director of Compliance from 1996-98. While there, he implemented a student-athlete database, which improved the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring eligibility. He also designed a compliance newsletter and was the chair of the University Compliance Committee. He began his compliance career at Northwestern in 1994, spending one year as an intern and second year as a compliance assistant.
Mellis received his bachelor’s degree in managerial economics in 1990 and his master’s in education in 1996, both from UC Davis. He held several positions with the Aggies from 1989-92, including assistant men's basketball coach, academic advisor, and assistant to the athletic department administration.
Mellis relocated to San Luis Obispo in early 2020 to join his wife Tina, who is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Health and Wellbeing at Cal Poly.