Aug. 6, 2012
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich announced on the Monday the promotions of Richard Wanninger to Senior Associate Executive Director for External Relations, Matt Dougherty to Assistant Executive Director for Communications, Quinton Smith to Associate Director for Compliance and Sport Management, James Greene to Associate Director for Communications and Jimmy Johnson to Associate Director for Communications/Multimedia.
"I am very appreciative of the significant contributions each of these staff members have made to their areas of responsibility and the work of the League office," Femovich said. "Their commitment to the League and willingness to take on additional responsibilities will allow us to continue to effectively service the needs of our membership and help to advance the League as a whole."
Wanninger is entering his eighth year with the Patriot League, and had served as the Associate Executive Director for External Relations since 2006 after spending one year as the Assistant Executive Director. He is responsible for the oversight of the Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship, as well as the League's television and broadband packages, marketing and sponsorship initiatives, and the overall promotion of the League. He served as the main contact in the Patriot League's long-term television agreement with CBS Sports Network. Wanninger works with football and basketball officiating and scheduling strategies for various sports. He works with each institution's athletic administration, including serving as the primary contact with marketing, multimedia, ticketing, development, sports medicine and institutional public relations staffs throughout the year. During his first two years, he was the Director of each of the Patriot League's 18 championships. He also was responsible for the Patriot League receiving NCAA Women's Basketball Grants for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns.
Dougherty begins his sixth season with the Patriot League, and is promoted to Assistant Executive Director for Communications after spending the last five years as the Director of Media Relations. He led the Patriot League Football 25th Anniversary celebration in 2011, which included an Anniversary Team as well as additional coverage to highlight the commemoration. He oversees the Patriot League's communications department while serving as the primary contact for football and men's basketball, as well as various other Olympic sports. He also works as the main contact with the League's media relations directors and sits on national groups for the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Dougherty has directed the Patriot League's move into social media platforms, contributes to the League's championship administration and provides oversight for the Patriot League website.
Smith, who is being promoted from Assistant to Associate Director for Compliance and Sport Management, joined the Patriot League in April 2010 after serving nearly a year as an enforcement intern at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis. The Indiana University graduate handles day-to-day compliance issues for the Patriot League office, and has conducted compliance reviews at League institutions. He has served as a leader in meetings with coaches and administrative groups throughout the League, including the Sport Management Committee. Smith also works as the Patriot League's contact with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and runs the group's yearly meetings each October.
Greene is moving to Associate Director for Communications after working as Assistant Media Relations Director since June 2010. He first joined the Patriot League in January 2010 as its Media and External Relations Assistant. He works as the main contact for numerous Patriot League sports, including women's basketball and men's lacrosse. Greene serves as the point person for administration of the Patriot League website, including the League's re-design in December 2011, and has directed the development of the Patriot League Women in Sports coverage for the past two years. He also assists with the League's championship administration and its multimedia initiatives.
Johnson receives a promotion two years after re- joining the Patriot League staff in the newly created position of Coordinator of Multimedia/Media Relations in August 2010. He previously worked as the Media and External Relations Assistant in the fall of 2009. Johnson has increased the Patriot League's visibility in multimedia by producing weekly highlight shows, top plays, championship recaps and feature stories for both Patriot League All-Access and the League's YouTube page. Johnson produced videos for Patriot League Women in Sport coverage in 2012, and has served as editor-in-chief of the League's Year-in-Review publication for the past two seasons. He has also worked as a media relations contact for a handful of sports, and aids member schools in their multimedia platforms.
The Patriot League continually demonstrates that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing its high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.