Release and graphic courtesy of
ECAC-SIDA.org
Sue Cornelius Edson, Associate Athletics Director/Communications at Syracuse University, has been named the ECAC-SIDA's Bob Kenworthy Award for 2014. Named in honor of long-time Gettysburg College sports information director Bob Kenworthy, it is presented at the discretion of the ECAC-SIDA Executive Board for contributions to the corporation and mission of ECAC-SIDA.
Edson began her career at Syracuse in 1990 as an assistant sports information director and became the director of athletic communications in 1997. She was promoted to associate director of athletics in 2014 after serving as an assistant director of athletics for communications since August 2006.
She served on the Eastern College Athletic Conference-Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA) Executive Board of Directors for eight years, including as president in 2002-03. She has appeared on countless panels and made numerous presentations at the Annual ECAC-SIDA Workshop and has held a prominent leadership role in FAME, conducting those meetings at both ECAC-SIDA and CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). She regularly supports those in the athletic communications industry and often contributes high-quality items to the annual charity raffle and silent auctions held at the workshops.
In 2006, Edson was the recipient of ECAC-SIDA's University Division Irving T. Marsh Award for excellence in the field of sports information and in 2012 was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame. A member of The BIG EAST Conference Swimming & Diving Championship Committee for two years, she was also recognized with the '40 Under 40' honor in 2007 for her significant contributions in the workplace and in the community.
"Sue is a wonderful person, a consummate athletic communications professional, and one of the all-time great supporters of ECAC-SIDA, its mission and its members," said Roger Crosley, who served as ECAC-SIDA treasurer from 1987 to 2013. "Her concern is always with the membership and giving it the best experience possible."
"The credibility and respect she commands correlates directly to the Golden Rule—she treats everyone with that same respect and has been a mentor and friend to so many at all levels," said
Jim Seavey, Director of Sports Information & Intercollegiate Scheduling Coordinator at Massachusetts Maritime who is a veteran of ECAC-SIDA, including as president in 2004-05.
In her current role at Syracuse, Edson is responsible for managing the athletic communications operation, which disseminates information for all varsity sports to appropriate organizations, manages the department website,
SUAthletics.com, and acts as a liaison between the media and the SU coaching staffs and student-athletes, in addition to participating in department initiatives and administrative responsibilities.
Prior to her appointment as the director, Edson was an assistant director for seven years and had additional duties as publications coordinator for four years. As publications coordinator she was responsible for the production of 16 media guides. In addition, she handled the day-to-day public relations duties for women's basketball. Prior to 1993, she handled the public relations for SU's 17 Olympic sports.
Edson has won multiple CoSIDA publications awards, including "Best in the Nation" awards for her 1994 men's lacrosse media and 1993-94 crew and rowing guides. In addition, the 1994-95 men's basketball guide was voted fifth in the nation and the 1997-98 guide finished seventh nationally.
She has served as the media coordinator for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament events held in Syracuse, including the 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2010 East Regional Championships.
Edson teaches a sports public relations class as an adjunct professor in the Newhouse School, a post she has held since 1994. In 1995, she served as a trainer for the University's improving quality course, SUIQ. In 1996-97, Edson was a leader for a Junior Girl Scout troop in Syracuse.
She graduated from Syracuse in 1990 with a dual degree in broadcast journalism from the Newhouse School and policy studies from the Maxwell School. Edson served stints as editor-in-chief, assistant sports editor and chair of the board of directors of SU's award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Orange.
Edson and her late husband, Rob '96, have two children, Thomas and Tracey. She is an active member of the Jamesville-DeWitt community, sits on the Jamesville-DeWitt Youth Athletic Association Board of Directors and serves as the co-coordinator of the basketball program, and is a youth basketball and softball coach.
The Bob Kenworthy Award has been awarded since 1999 with 12 previous recipients. Among them are John Garner of the ECAC (2000), Rosa Gatti of ESPN (2002), Pete Nevins of East Stroudsburg University (2006) and Steve McCloskey of Mansfield University (2010). Edson will be presented her award at a luncheon on Wednesday, June 25, during the Annual ECAC-SIDA Workshop, to be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, N.Y.
A complete list of award winners is available at
ecacsida.org/kenworthy.
About ECAC-SIDA
Established in 1955, the Eastern College Athletic Conference-Sports Information Directors Association provides support for the sports information directors of the many schools affiliated with the ECAC. Membership is open to all sports information directors, conference information directors, public relations directors, athletic communicators and corporations that have a vested interest in the welfare of the organization. ECAC-SIDA is one of the nation's largest sports information director associations, with member colleges and universities ranging from Maine to North Carolina in Divisions I, II and III as well as NAIA schools and junior colleges.