Dr. Tom Buning was named Chaminade University's 10th Director of Athletics on July 13, 2020.

With more than two decades of experience in NCAA Division I and Division II athletics, Dr. Buning brings to the position a wealth of knowledge in sport program administration, student-athlete life and fundraising. He previously served as senior associate director of athletics at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, where he oversaw 150 staff and coaches and an annual budget of $55 million.
 
Dr. Buning also served as director of athletics at University of North Dakota from 2005 to ’07 where he helped begin the Fighting Hawks’ transition to a Division I program from the D-II ranks. Before his time at UND, he served as the Deputy Athletics Director and Chief of Staff at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., where he helped secure sponsorships, oversaw the assistant athletic directors and was the liaison with the Academy Commandant for Cadet-Athlete affairs. Prior to joining Chaminade, he was a senior partner and managing director at a privately-held mergers and acquisitions brokerage services advisory firm in Dallas.

Dr. Buning has his Doctor of Education in Leadership of Higher Education at SMU, where he also earned a Master of Business Administration. He also has a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Dr. Buning is a graduate of Army West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and competed as a member of the Black Knights' swim team. He is a highly-decorated officer who served in several combat tours including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield.

He and his wife, Debi, have three children: sons Chase and Chance and daughter Chandler who is married to Colby Enegren and lives on the North Shore of O'ahu.