release and graphic courtesy of
ECAC-SIDA
Lisa Champagne, Director of Athletic Communications at the University of Vermont, has demonstrated an unrivaled passion throughout a renowned career in the athletics communications field. As such, she will be honored with the 2013 Irving T. Marsh Award for the University Division at this June’s annual ECAC-SIDA Workshop in Manchester, N.H.
The Irving T. Marsh Award is given annually to both a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA) or Junior College ECAC Sports Information Directors Association member who, in the opinion of the ECAC-SIDA membership and Executive Board, has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information. The awards are presented annually at the workshop. First presented in 1966, the awards are named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973.
After honoring one person from 1966 through 1990, the Marsh Award was expanded to its present format in 1991. The 2013 Marsh Award recipient from the college division is
Massachusetts Maritime Academy's Jim Seavey.
"Lisa is a consummate professional and someone who is a model of success in this profession. She has dedicated herself to forwarding the goals of athletics communications while bringing distinction to herself and her institution," said Geoff Hassard, ECAC-SIDA President.
Champagne, who is completing her 17th year in the sports information field, was promoted to her current position in May of 2005 after six years as an Assistant Director in the athletic communications office. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the athletic communications office and the 18 varsity sports Vermont sponsors. She is the primary media contact for the Vermont men's and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball and ski teams.
Champagne has been involved with the redesign of the athletic department website several times over, introduced new means of disseminating information to the media, fans, alumni and other interested parties about UVM Athletics, implemented social media into the athletic communications office, and initiated the streaming of games over the Internet. In 2008, she was honored with the Zabriskie Award for Excellence by the Vermont Athletic Department.
She previously served as Director of Sports Information at Saint Michael's College (Colchester, Vt.) for two years before going to the University of Vermont. She also spent two years in the sports information office at Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Conn.), serving as assistant director for 16 months before being appointed interim SID. Prior to her work at Quinnipiac, Champagne was a student assistant in the sports information office at Southern New Hampshire University for three years.
In addition to her collegiate sports information experience, Champagne has also worked on the international stage. She served as a media relations staff member at Soldier Hollow for the Nordic, biathlon and Nordic-combined events at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Champagne has also worked the 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cup, the Special Olympics World Games in 1995 and was a media relations volunteer at the 2004 USGA Women's Open held at the Orchards in South Hadley, Mass. She has also worked several NCAA Championships in a variety of sports and headed up Vermont's athletic communications contingent at the 2005 and 2011 NCAA Ski Championship at Stowe. Most recently, she worked with USA Hockey and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to coordinate the media relations effort for the 2012 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships that were hosted by UVM and the City of Burlington.
A native of Tolland, Conn., Champagne earned a bachelor's degree in sport management from Southern New Hampshire in 1994 and a master's degree in business administration from Saint Michael's College in 2001. She was a two-sport athlete for the Penmen, competing in basketball and softball.