Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rosa Gatti, Senior VP, Communications Counsel & Corporate Outreach at ESPN, has been selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) to receive the Trailblazer Award at the organization's annual workshop on Tuesday, June 23, in San Antonio, Texas. The award is presented annually to an individual who is a pioneer in the field of sports information and who has mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA.
Gatti has been responsible for ESPN's public relations since its first year of operation as one network. Today, in addition to serving as an advisor to the successful communications team, she continues to grow ESPN's corporate outreach initiatives worldwide.
Gatti joined ESPN in its first year of operation in July 1980 as Director, Communications and built the communications department over the years, establishing best practices in media and investor relations, viewer response, and charitable efforts. She became a Vice President in 1981 and a Senior Vice President in 1988. In 2002, she established the Team ESPN brand name for corporate outreach and expanded the company's employee volunteerism, corporate giving, and cause marketing initiatives.
Throughout the years, she has been a voice for continued growth of women's sports coverage and inclusion of diversity in ESPN's media and publications. In 1992, she founded ESPN's Diversity Committee to accelerate employee awareness of diversity issues and to recommend ways to incorporate and cultivate diversity in the workplace to serve ESPN's diverse fan base. From 1996-98, she oversaw the reorganization and enhancement of the human resources department. She also served as ESPN's liaison to Disney Communications and Investor Relations.
Prior to joining ESPN, Gatti spent four years as the Sports Information Director (SID) at Brown University (1976-1980). During her tenure, she served as the publicity coordinator for several NCAA championships and chaired a variety of national sports information committees. Before working at Brown, Gatti worked at her alma mater, Villanova University. Starting as a secretary in the university's sports information office in 1973, Gatti was promoted to assistant director within a year and, in 1974, she became the first female SID at a member school of the NCAA's major university division.
During her career as an SID, Gatti was selected President of the ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) SIDs and served as Vice-President of CoSIDA. She also served on the public relations advisory committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee in the 1980s. In 1983, she became the first woman to receive Villanova's Arts & Sciences Medallion, awarded to alumni for their professional achievements.
In 1987, Gatti received CoSIDA's prestigious "Jake Wade Award," given annually to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics in the communications media, and in 2003 she received the CoSIDA "Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award”, given to an individual who has made a lasting contribution to intercollegiate athletics, has demonstrated a long and consistent commitment to excellence and has been a loyal supporter of CoSIDA and its mission.
A 1972 graduate of Villanova with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Gatti served on Villanova's Board of Trustees for 10 years. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Association for Cable Communicators and several other organizations.
Past Trailblazer Award Recipients
2008 Langston Rogers (Mississippi)
2007 Anne Abicht (St. Cloud State)
2006 Debbie Byrne White (Old Dominion)
2005 Bill Hamilton (South Carolina State)
2004 Joyce Aschenbrenner (V Foundation)
2003 June Stewart (Vanderbilt)
2002 Collie J. Nicholson (Grambling State-retired)
2001 Mary Jo Haverbeck (Penn State-retired)