ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Former Lewis men's track athlete Courtney M. Charles (Class of 2002) was recently named the Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Operations for Raptors 905, an NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors. He will oversee business operations, basketball affairs and long-term strategic planning for the organization.

Basketball was always Charles' passion but it was track that provided him with the opportunity at a full scholarship. He made a name for himself at Lewis as a member of the men's track and field team for three years and credits the school for giving him a platform to finish his bachelor's degree and leave a legacy.

"It's really about educating people," he said. "I always had a passion for learning but I can honestly say that education through sports has been something to help drive people to realize that there is so much more you can do." "As a Canadian coming to the U.S. there were a lot of unknowns and at that time, sports as a business wasn't a big thing in Canada unless you were playing hockey," Charles said.

In his three years at Lewis, he won a combined six Great Lakes Valley Conference titles in indoor and outdoor track and was the GLVC Track Athlete of the Year at the 2000 GLVC Outdoor Championships. Charles won the 55 meters at the 2001 GLVC Indoor Championships and was back-to-back champion in the 200 meters in 2000 and 2001. He also was the 100-meter champion at the GLVC Outdoor meet in 2000 and back-to-back champion in the 200 meters in 2000 and 2001.

Charles earned All-American accolades at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2000 in the 100 meters and again in 2001 in the 200 meters and as a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that finished second in the event. Individually, Charles still holds the school record in the 55 and 200 meters indoors and in the 100 and 200 meters outdoors.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in Business Administration-Management at Lewis he received his master's degree in Science (Health and Physical Education) from Marshall University.

Upon returning to Toronto, Charles began his journey with the Raptors as an intern in 2006. He later became the Coordinator of Basketball Operations and eventually worked his way up to Director of Basketball Operations and Player Development where he focused on player on-boarding, financial planning, team marketing, community initiatives and sponsorships. The hallmarks of his success were his ability to build meaningful relationships with players and develop programs that provided them with resources to maximize their time in the NBA and prepare for life after basketball.

One of his passions since joining the Raptors, now in their 25th season, was growing the game of basketball in Canada. At the start of the 2019-20 season, there were 16 Canadians among the 108 international players from 38 countries on NBA rosters which is the most ever for a country outside the United States. Charles is looking forward to the upcoming season as he embraces his new role within the league and is excited to challenge his team to think outside the box as they continue to develop the game.