Sport Studies Students
Alumni Stories
Jana Reardon-Mowers Class of 1997
Scott Sargent Class of 1992
Working for Emerson Sports Communications (CNN affiliate in Atlanta), going to law school at Georgia State
Vivian Valeta Class of 1995
I am currently working at Newsday, in Melville, NY, as an Assistant Editor on the News Copy Desk. I have been employed by The Times Mirror Corporation, now owned by Tribune, as a Copy Editor and Layout Editor since 1996. Prior to returning to Newsday in January of 2000, I was employed at the Hartford Courant, also formerly a Times Mirror paper, for 2.5 years. My husband of four years and I have a daughter, who is now 2 years old, as well as one cat and one Rottener. ~Vivian Valeta Cook
Sherri Romer Class of 1995
The last year has been a busy one for me. I've been working with the same company since 1999, and have been steadily moving forward here. I recently got appointed to run the Health and Wellness program, which basically consists of negotiating discounts with fitness clubs across the country, on behalf of our clients. LifeCare, is an employee benefit that is offered to large companies nationwide. We offer resources, referrals, and some discounted services to employees of these large companies.The other part of my job consists of researching the needs of the clients- everything from legal information to finding a house cleaner. I will be starting another new position in May, where in addition to my current duties, I will be involved in the sales/marketing and product development areas of the business as well. I managed to coach the high school gymnastics team for one last season...I don't think I'll be able to fit it into my schedule next year. I worked with a very talented team this year.
Joseph Pullia Class of 1995
It is good to see a lot of familiar names in the alumni section and am happy the UNH education is being put to good use!! I am currently living in Connecticut and have been working for the New York Yankees for the past three years. I am the Director of Scoreboard and Broadcasting and am in charge of all the in-game entertainment. We write, produce and edit all of the Yankees radio and television commercials as well as handle all of the broadcast for visiting radio and television. The past few years have been pretty great, since I was lucky enough to be here for two World Series in a row, we actually get the same rings the players have! It has been quite an experience and I have learned a lot about live entertainment at this job. Hope to here from some recent grad's and thanks for making the site so accessible.
Rachel Podradchik Class of 1995
Primarily, my job with NHL Fan Development consists of maintaining and developing our youth based corporate relationships, such as with Nickelodeon GAS (digital channel), Radio Disney, etc. My favorite part of the job is helping develop national promotions which promote the excitement and interest in hockey to young kids throughout the US and Canada. Fan Development runs NHL BREAKOUT and other community-based programs. I will be getting involved with organization of their corporate partners, as well. On the flip side, I'm learning how to play hockey and am playing in a work-organized tourney! It starts tonight night, I can skate (from my early days as a figure skater) but handling the puck is a different story. Oh yeah - at the All-Star Game in Toronto, I was fortunate enough to meet The Great One at a press conference!! You can't get any better than that.
Jana Reardon-Mowers Class of 1997
Jana Reardon '97 and Mark Mowers '98 were married last August -- the first Sport Studies Wedding! It was a royal wedding for UNH Athletics, attended by glamorous stars from the gymnastics and hockey teams (including Nikki Villella '97, Karen Olsson '94, Joey Moran '98, Kelly Shaw '95, Mike Souza '00, and Jason Shipulski '00). Profs Hardy and Goodhue were privileged to attend and managed to stay out of trouble. Hardy was quoted as saying "the two lovebirds were chit-chatting on the altar as if they were still in the back of my KIN 740 classroom. I almost had to yell at them again." Mark and Jana are settling into Nashville, where Mark plays for the NHL Predators. We wish them the best for health and happiness together.
Brenda Burke Class of 1997
I just took a look at the website -- VERY IMPRESSED!!! Things here are great!!! Very busy. I am currently in my third year of teaching/coaching. I'm teaching physical education at a middle school and coaching (soccer, basketball and softball) at the high school. I look forward to going to my job everyday -- VERY HAPPY!!! I need to get back to school, before I really fall out of it. I'm thinking about a masters in administration, we'll see?? Have a wonderful day. All the best,
Tim Barry 1997
I am the Assistant Director of Jimmy Fund Golf (www.jimmyfund.org/golf). We are an organization of 150 volunteer-run golf tournaments that raised $5.5 million in 2005 for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Jimmy Fund is the event fundraising arm of Dana-Farber. JFGolf is a staff of 8 dedicated to educating and assisting volunteers as they run their tournaments - we are essentially event consultants. Our job is to help our tournament directors maximize revenue, minimize effort, and then acknowledge their hard work when their event is over. I work primarily on 3 things: sponsors, stewardship (thank-you) events, and new business.
Thomas Cronshaw Class of 1998
Hope everything is well in Durham. Here in Florida I am working for an Internet Advertising Company called 3Clix.com. It is a new company that is planning on creating Internet Business Directories for 400 cities throughout the US. Right now we only have two started- Sarasota and Bradenton Florida. I create advertising sites for companies that advertise with us. You can check it out at www.3clix.com. I am still hanging on to my sports photography dreams as well. I have been doing some shooting for School Sports Magazine out of Boston, MA. I am one of the Tampa, FL reps. The magazine profiles high school athletes throughout the country. You can check that out at www.schoolsports.com. I also do some freelancing for the Bradenton Herald. Well, that's pretty much all from here. Oh yeah, went to see the UNH football team when they played USF here in Tampa. Great game, even though we lost. Again, hope all is well. Go Cats!
Timothy Barry Class of 1998
I'm currently the Regional Event Director for Summit Sports & Events, Inc. We are a grassroots event management company based in Denver that operates two national tours and various other events. Our two national properties are the 3-v-3 Soccer Shootout and the Roundball Ruckus, a three-on-three basketball tour. All together, the company runs somewhere around 135 events annually. I work out of the Boston office and operate all soccer events in the Northeast (from Maryland north to Maine, west to Cleveland) for Summit Sports. I run about 12 events throughout the course of the Spring and Summer. My job is great and it is providing me with absolutely amazing experience. The company is pretty small, but I work with some great people. I deal with all aspects of each event from selling sponsorship to team marketing. We are constantly looking for volunteers and interns (paid).
Shelby Hodgkins Class of 1999
I am the Women's Athletics Manager/Marketing Coordinator at Brine Inc., a sporting goods manufacturer. Brine is known as the leading manufacturer of lacrosse equipment worldwide and Brine is also one of the top three manufacturers of soccer balls and shin guards in the U.S. Brine also makes volleyball equipment and in the future will be making field hockey equipment as well. Even though Brine is a well-known company it is not as big as you may think. Brine is number one in lacrosse, but lacrosse is basically concentrated in the Eastern U.S. and it is not a significant international sport yet.
Chris Ames Class of 1999
I have recently started my own touring mascot business, based on my experience performing as the World Famous Monkey Boy. Currently, I am the only performer in my company, but future plans include expanding the roster of entertainers.
For the last five years (three with the Pride, two on my own) starting in 1998, I have been entertaining crowds at sporting events as Monkey Boy. You may have seen me on Channel 9, or at the Whittemore Center in November of 1999. During the last five years, I have been in front of over 600,000 fans and performed in over 40 venues, mostly in the last two years, while I have been independent of the Pride. I have built up a nice following and have received positive comments from the front office staffs of the teams in which I have performed. In 1999, I was named as one of the Famous San Diego Chicken's top three personal favorite mascots. In fact, here is a sampling of some of the other comments made about the act:
Mark Bryant, Assistant GM of New York Mets affiliate, Capital City Bombers says, "We didn't know what to expect, but we took a chance and it paid off! Monkey Boy delivers the moves and the laughs you want from a ballpark entertainer at a more affordable rate than many acts out there that aren't as much fun."
Dave Gasaway, the General Manager of the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League says, "Monkey Boy kept our crowd in stitches as he interacted with both the players and fans. The World Famous Monkey Boy is a hit and is sure to tickle your funny bone."
Hap Seliga, Assistant GM of Anaheim Angels affiliate, Arkansas Travelers says "The World Famous Monkey Boy is a sure bet to spice things up at any ballpark!"
Andy Crossley of the Nashua Pride says, "Our fans go crazy for Monkey Boy. The line for his autograph booth at the end of the night stretched from one side of the park to the other. A good value and a lot of fun!"
The reason for my e-mail is to find out if there is an interest in your part or in the part of the University to form a relationship with my company and extend an internship opportunity to your students. I am actually in need of the services of a sports management intern to assist me in many different areas of the business. One of the duties would be to travel to different venues with me to assist me with basic operations of the performances. I have had a couple of New Hampshire Technical College students assist me in the past, and they have found their experiences to be invaluable. They are particularly grateful for the opportunity to travel to different venues and to witness first-hand how different organizations operate.
Jason Bolduc Class of 2000
It's a fantastic job, and the people here are some of the best I've ever worked with. The Lightning is now owned by Palace Sports and Entertainment, which is the second largest sports entertainment company in the world. As an Account Executive, I sell anything from individual game tickets to Corporate packages, Suites, Club seats, etc. Even though I work 50-80 hours a week, it's still a great job. (And yes, I have pretty decent access to tickets!) Any and all alums, as well as any students, are more than welcome to get in touch with me, don't be shy. I'm usually at my desk a lot anyway!
Jeremy Dominick Class of 2000
I have recently been working for the New Britain Herald in New Britain, Connecticut.
Roberta Sinclair, Class of 2003
For just over a year now, I have been working as the Assistant Physical Education Director at the JW Hayden Recreation Centre in Lexinton, MA. My primary job is to teach classes for kids ranging in age from 2 to 14. Kids can take PE classes varying from basketball, soccer, tennis and golf to archery, biking and adventure. The great thing about Hayden is that we are very grassroots. We don’t have leagues and teams, just instructional classes where we will play pick-up games at the end of the days lessons. Hayden is a great stepping stone for kids to be introduced to a variety of sports as beginners or to simply play and learn more about a sport they enjoy in a non-competitive environment. I also serve as the “Hayden Helper” coordinator, which is a program that allows middle school and high school students to volunteer and help out with classes. Lexington has a community service requirement in order to graduate from high school so this program allows students to get those volunteer hours but to also gain experience in teaching and working with children. This job as been a great learning experience for me and I feel very fortunate to work with so many talented and creative people.
Outside of work, it has been great living in the Boston area and exploring all that is has to offer. I am still living with some fellow UNH alums in Medford, which has been great. From here I am just looking forward to whatever the future may throw my way!
Chris Baker
FRONT ROW MARKETING SERVICES, CHRIS BAKER, HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF TAMPA BAY’S BRIGHTEST 30 UNDER 30,
ACCORDING TO THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL.
SAINT PETERSBURG, FL October 31, 2005- Chris Baker, Project Director for Front Row Marketing Services has been named one of Tampa Bay’s ‘Brightest 30 under 30’. This award, given by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, is awarded to 30 people under 30 years old in the Tampa Bay community who know the sky’s the limit and who have been successful in and outside of the workplace and have made a difference through their contributions to the community.
Baker consults and negotiates sponsorship revenues for municipalities, arenas, stadiums, and convention centers; currently he oversees six projects in the Southern United States. Baker also lends his expertise as a guest speaker at the University of Tampa, and currently leads a project at Bethune-Cookman College working with marketing and public relation students educating them on sponsorship programs.
Dick Sherwood, President of Front Row Marketing Services stated, “We are proud of Chris and this accomplishment, he has shown that he is a proven young professional and he continues to be a tremendous assist on his various projects.”
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday November 10th, 2005 at the Wyndham Westshore in Tampa.
Pete Woodward
The past two years I was working at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT. I was the Associate Director of Admission, and Assistant Football Coach. Presently, I am at Endicott College, just up the road. I'm getting my Master's in Education. I also am working for the College as well. I'm Recreational Coordinator, working with all intramural activities, as well as some other student, residential events and activities. I also am an Assistant Football Coach as well, to a new program here. We will be in the NEFC Conference as a full Varsity Program next season.
Leisha Campbell
My job is very cool, especially for sports lovers. I am in charge of coordinating all projects that have signed autographs on them. Which means if we decide that we want to sell signed Michael Jordan jerseys in a frame with a plaque, I am the person that puts it all together. I do not physically make the items but I coordinate all departments too make sure we have all of the components and they get put together properly. If we do not have an piece of the puzzle, I get vendor quotes and create purchase orders in order to get them. Projects I am currently working on are; Derek Jeter Signed Jersey, Michael Jordan signed UNC Piece, Kobe Bryant signed numbers piece, and many more.
This position is perfect because I get to work with many of the departments here at Upper Deck. Most of the time I am working with Marketing. They basically come up with an idea and I make it happen (and they do give me creative say). I also get to work with finance and purchasing, operations, production, and athlete relations. I look forward to working for Upper Deck for many years it is an industry that has many different avenues to travel.
Kris Hultgren
I was looking over the athletics website and saw your name and realized I hadn't dropped you a line in a long, long time. I've been living in Portland , Maine for the last year and a half. It's great, what a fun place. I work for the Phoenix .... Boston 's Portland paper selling advertising and
doing marketing projects. It's a great atmosphere to work in and it makes up for the paltry salary. The little perks of tickets to shows and free meals at area restaurants help as well. The sports scene up here is dead. That will change a little this spring when the Red Sox come to town but there just isn't that much interest in the Pirates. I've had some communication with the president of the Maine State Games talking about helping in some capacity with the production of the first state games. The small staff they have took a trip down to Mass. to talk with Kevin Cummings and the Bay State Games crew a little while back
Kevin Fitzgerald
I am a P.E./Health teacher at Timberlane Middle School. I also coach football, basketball, and baseball at Timberlane High School.
Heidi Kaiser
I Thought I would drop a note to say hello and update you on what I have done since graduating. I have often thought of your words of advice and encouragement along my way.
After relaxing in the San Diego sun for almost 2 years after graduating, while volunteering for NHL events (All-Star Game in L.A. etc.) I finally realized I had to get back to the east coast. I worked for the New Jersey Nets & Devils in the Ticket Sales Department to get sales experience
for a short while. In January I moved to Philadelphia to work for the Flyers Group Sales Department. I have enjoyed my time here and have found success in sales.
It has recently come to my attention that I am the #1 candidate for the Group Sales Manager position about to open up for the Flyers Skate Zones where the Flyers and Phantoms practice. I am excited for the challenge and experience and just wanted to thank you for getting me started.
Greg Klym
In 1995 I was hired on as a graduate assistant coach at American International College, in Springfield, MA. I received my masters in educational psychology while coaching full-time. From 1997-99 I took an assistant coaching position at Division III Hamilton College, where we won the 1998 ECAC championship. In 1999 I moved on to Erie, PA and Division I Mercyhurst College of the MAAC hockey league, where I assumed the role of assistant coach for the first two years and was promoted to associate head coach in my third and final year. In 2000-2001 we went on to win both the MAAC regular season championship and playoff championship advancing to the NCAA tournament losing to Michigan in the first round. This past season I
was hired on as an assistant coach at Division I Union College of the ECAC where our team finished sixth out of twelve teams and lost out in the first round of playoffs versus RPI.
Chris Baker
Hello Everyone! I never thought I would be filling out this form. I am currently the Marketing Coordinator for Front Row Marketing Services. Front Row Marketing Services is a subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor and Global Spectrum. FRMS is a sports marketing consulting firm for arenas, sports teams, and convention centers. I reside in Bristol Borrough, PA and work in Newtown, PA (about 30 minutes north of Philly.) Our clients range from the Orange Bowl to Sovereign Bank Arena, to The Philadelphia Charge. We provide consulting services such as naming rights, premium seating, advertising, and analysis. I love the job, and if anyone ever has any questions, feel free to contact me!
Jason Soucy
Since 1998 I have been with the PGA of America, and along the way I was promoted to Tournament Director of the Senior PGA Championship. However, after completing a successful championship in the summer of 2003, my wife and I made a quality of life decision to return to New England . We returned to the Boston area this winter, and I recently accepted the position of Assistant General Manager for the Agganis Arena at Boston University .
The Arena is initially slated to host about 60-65 events (hockey full-time, limited men's and women's basketball, concerts and family shows). I am excited about the opportunity and thrilled to be back in Hockey East territory; although some of my former classmates (Greg Klym, Jesse Cooper, Ted Russel, Eric Flinton, Eric Royal, etc.) probably wouldn't be too impressed that it is with Boston University . However, I am thrilled with my product and the opportunity. My General Manager is a BC grad, so all we need is to hire another member of the staff from UMaine and we can have some exciting inter-office rivalries. Although since BU pays the freight, my allegiance will have to lean towards Comm. Ave. for at least 3 games a year...but otherwise I can keep reading Dave Hendrickson religiously with an eye on both the Cats and the Terriers.
Regards,
Jason Soucy
Assistant General Manager
Manager of Sales & Marketing
Agganis Arena at Boston University