Former athlete praised for work

Once a 49er, always a 49er. Cal State Long Beach's Cindy Masner has always been a 49er.

Masner came to CSULB as a softball player 14 years ago, picking the school over others offering her scholarships. Today, this one-time student athlete is an assistant athletic director for facilities and event management and senior women's administrator for the CSULB athletic department.

Masner oversees eight sports, manages all athletic facilities for CSULB and handles outside rental activities. She administrates club sports and represents CSULB at National Collegiate Athletic Association conventions. Masner is also in charge of ensuring that all gender-equity terms are met for women athletic teams.

Masner grew up playing sports in Culver City and now lives in Los Alamitos with her cat, Gizmo. Her duties keep her at work seven days a week, but Masner said she wouldn't have it any other way. She loves her job, and CSULB Athletic Director Dave O'Brien said she's probably the hardest working person on the staff.

"I'll bet If you tallied up the hours that everybody works at Long Beach State throughout the year, the employee who would have put in the most amount of hours would be Cindy Masner," O'Brien said.

Masner has moved up the ladder in the athletic department and said that someday she may want to become an athletic director. However, at 31-years-old, Masner said she is in no hurry and is enjoying her current position.

"I'd like to stay at Long Beach the rest of my life; I love it here," Masner said.

CSULB softball coach Pete Manarino, who coached Masner in her senior season on the softball team, said he has seen Masner progress through the department and finds no surprise in her accomplishments. He said he enjoys the irony that his program now falls under her administration and said, "Now she's my boss."

Masner said she enjoys working with the current staff, calling it one of the most productive in the country, and said she believes that CSULB is rising to the level of national respect it has deserved for a long time. Masner said she intends to be a big part of that rise.

"It's just a great school, and I think with The Pyramid it's a great opportunity," Masner said. "Everything is going to start happening with that pyramid."