Bulldog Club Staff

J Locklier returned to Butler in July of 2024 in the position of Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development. 

“Generating increased support for our department broadly, and NIL specifically, is critical to our ability to elevate our competitiveness in the BIG EAST, PFL, and national landscape,” said Butler Vice President and Director of Athletics Grant Leiendecker. “We are excited to bring J back to Butler to oversee our development efforts; he is a proven fundraiser who builds relationships and values the mission of our university.”

Locklier will lead the Butler Athletics development staff, prioritizing major gifts and annual support of Butler Athletics through Bulldog Club giving, as well as continuing the successful partnership with All Good Dawgs, the purpose-driven collective established to support Butler student-athletes.

Locklier returns to Butler after serving as a major gift officer for university advancement and athletics from 2011-14. During his time at Butler, Locklier solicited support for History, Heart, Hinkle: The Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse and the $35 million preservation and renovation of the historic fieldhouse.

Locklier arrived at Butler after serving in the role of Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development at Bradley since 2021. He served on the athletics senior staff and had oversight of all Bradley Athletics fundraising activities and the Bradley Wheels Club. In addition to his leadership roles at Butler and Bradley, Locklier has also held fundraising positions at Kent State, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and James Madison.

The 2001 Pac-10 Conference Newcomer of the Year, Locklier earned Pac-10 All-Academic First Team honors in 2002 as a member of the Washington State University Cougars program, where he also earned the University’s President’s Award for excellence in leadership, academics and community service. Locklier began his collegiate basketball career at Miami University (Ohio) where he was a member of the Redhawks 1998-99 MAC Regular Season Championship team that later advanced to the 1999 NCAA Tournament “Sweet Sixteen.” 

Following his professional playing career, which included the 2002 training camp with the NBA’s Boston Celtics as well as stints in Germay, Greece, the NBA Developmental League, The Netherlands and Argentina, Locklier began his fundraising career as a graduate assistant at Washington State University in 2005, while completing his master’s degree in athletic administration.

At Kent State as the Associate Athletic Director for Development and Executive Director of the Golden Flashes Club (2018-21), he managed all KSU Athletics fundraising efforts in addition to serving in leadership roles within Athletics and KSU Institutional Advancement. He also served as sport administrator for the Kent State women’s lacrosse team.

Prior to joining Kent State, Locklier was responsible for the major gifts efforts at the University of Cincinnati from 2014-18. Serving as Assistant AD for Major Gifts, Locklier managed a major gift team that solicited gifts in support of the $87 million renovation of Fifth Third Arena, the $85 million renovation of Nippert Stadium, and other programmatic and UC athletic endowment needs.

Prior to Butler, Locklier held fundraising positions at West Virginia University (2007-10) and James Madison University (2005-07) working with annual fund solicitations, major gifts, planned giving, and special events.

Locklier earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington State University in 2001, as well as his master’s in higher education/athletic administration from WSU in 2005. He went on to earn his MBA with an emphasis in leadership from Butler University in 2014.

Locklier and his wife, Olivia, are both graduates of Butler’s MBA program.
 

Graham Honaker joined the Butler Athletics staff in May of 2024 in the role of Associate Athletic Director for Development. 

Honaker’s move to Athletics came after serving Butler University since 2013 in roles within the advancement department. As executive director of principal gifts (since 2018), Honaker worked closely with Athletics and the men’s basketball program in particular on major gifts and the campaign to renovate Hinkle Fieldhouse. He also was the lead fundraiser in Butler’s successful $250 million Butler Beyond Campaign, which included the $50 million Lacy School of Business and the largest donation in university history – the $25 million gift to name the college of business after Andre B. Lacy. 

Honaker’s time at Butler also includes five years as senior director of development. 

Prior to Butler, Honaker’s development experience included his work with the University of Louisville (2010-13). 

His work in the community includes stints as the past president of both the Indianapolis Kiwanis Club and Indianapolis Kiwanis Club Foundation, and as a board member with Project 44 and the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum, among other initiatives. He also serves as Chair of the Trustees for the Robert Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

He is the author of The Cinderella Strategy: The Game Plan Behind Butler’s Rise to Prominence (March, 2021) and Unbracketed: Four College Basketball Programs and Their Journeys from the Bubble to the Big-Time (2022) and A Blessing Not a Burden (2024).

Honaker earned his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest and holds masters degrees from both Indiana University and Louisville.  

Drew Autajay ’99 joined the athletics staff at his alma mater in September 2021. He serves as the Director of Athletic Development. In this role, Autajay manages a portfolio of current leadership and major gift donors and prospects for Butler Athletics.

Drew most recently served as a Senior Corporate Gift Officer at Riley Children’s Foundation since 2012. During his time at the Foundation, Drew raised over $15 million and worked with companies like Salesforce, Aflac, Speedway LLC, Messer Construction, and Huse Culinary. Prior to that, he served in corporate sales roles for several companies including Ecolab, GE, and Quest Safety Products. 

Autajay is a 1999 graduate of Butler earning a degree in Chemistry and a native of Indianapolis. He earned master’s certificates in Project Management and Organizational Leadership from Villanova in 2010. 

Drew, along with his wife Sarah and daughter Madelyn, reside in Westfield, IN. 

Katie Suder joined the Butler Athletics staff in September of 2024 as the Development Assistant. She was promoted to Assistant Director of the Bulldog Club in May of 2025.

 
Suder arrived on the Butler staff with experience at the Pacers Athletic Center as a communications and marketing specialist. During her time as an undergraduate on the Butler campus, Suder was a member of Butler’s student advertising agency, five fountains.

Suder graduated from Butler in 2024 with a degree in strategic communication and a minor in creative media and entertainment.