Hope Nsiah-Kumi (In-see-uh Koo-mee) has been hired as the Director of Media Relations for the Mid-Continent Conference, Commissioner Tom Douple announced. She officially begins work on Sept. 18.
“I am very pleased that Hope has agreed to join our staff,” Douple said. “Her professional and educational experiences make her an excellent fit for the position. I believe that she will do an outstanding job of providing quality service to our membership.”
Nsiah-Kumi comes to the Mid-Con after serving the past 26 months as an assistant media relations director at The University of Arizona, where she was the contact for the volleyball and women’s basketball teams. She also hired and supervised a staff of eight student assistants, each of whom was directly responsible for a varsity sport. In addition, in March 2006, she served as the media coordinator for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament first- and second-round action in Tucson.
Nsiah-Kumi’s 2004-05 women’s basketball media guide was judged third in the nation in the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Publications Contest. Her 2005-06 book placed first in the region and seventh nationally.
Nsiah-Kumi got her start at the Division I level as the assistant sports information director at the University of Utah, where she was involved with the women’s volleyball and basketball teams, as well as the baseball team. While there, she coordinated a successful low-budget All-America campaign for Sacramento Monarchs forward Kim Smith.
From August 2000-July 2002, Nsiah-Kumi served as the sports information director at Elmhurst College, where she was responsible for the sports information responsibilities for all of the College’s 18 intercollegiate athletic teams. During that time, she also served as the media relations director for the Michael Jordan Basketball Camps, which were held annually at the college.
A member of CoSIDA, Nsiah-Kumi has served on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Committee for the past five years. She is also a member of the Female Athletic Media Relations Executives and the Association for Women in Sports Media.
A native of Denver, Nsiah-Kumi graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1998 with bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and sports administration. She is married to Alex Nsiah-Kumi Jr.