During three decades of work as an athletic director, Chuck Gordon has had his share of diverse experiences. Now, he is taking those experiences to a new frontier, working as the first athletic director at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

"It's been an exciting change," says Gordon, who oversees 15 athletic programs, including varsity teams in men's and women's basketball, five-a-side soccer, team handball, and volleyball and is Assistant Dean of Students. "The culture in Cairo is very different from what I'm used to, and as a non-Arabic speaker, I'm definitely out of my comfort zone.

"At the same time, parts of the job, like supervising coaches and purchasing equipment, feel very familiar," he continues. "No matter what the language or culture, sports are sports, and student-athletes here want to stay fit, compete, and have fun."

Though Gordon and his wife have traveled often over the years, this is the first time they've lived overseas. "My expectation was that moving from the Midwest [as Athletic Director at Augustana College (Ill.)] to one of the world's largest cities would be a major adjustment, and that I'd need a good sense of humor to get through it," says Gordon. "That's proven to be true. There's not an hour that goes by when we don't have a good laugh--often at my expense!

"At other points in my career, I'm not sure this job would have been a good move," continues Gordon. "But over time I've smoothed out some of my rougher edges. I'm more patient than I used to be, and I'm willing to accept the fact I'm not going to be in control all the time."

For these first few months, Gordon says his goals are to observe the culture, start learning Arabic, and simply survive. "And the best lesson I've learned," he says, "is that if I smile, I generally get what I want."