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By Mark Znidar, The Columbus Dispatch
The birth certificate states clearly in black ink that home for Ed Syguda is Ashtabula in the far northeast corner of Ohio. He
Syguda, clockwise top, L to R: on the football field; with son Aaron and daughter Jordan
at his 60th birthday party; at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.
was born and raised there.
Really, though, the clerk of records could type an asterisk on the bottom of the paper noting that Otterbein University is where his roots are deepest in the soil.
Syguda, who is one of 11 recipients of the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award this year, has been much more than an employee of the Division III university that is in Westerville, Ohio. He is the first person from the Ohio Athletic Conference to be so recognized.
“Otterbein turned out to be my second home,’’ he said. “I love this place. I never thought I’d be here this long, but the university has been a good fit for my family and me.’’
Local media grew accustomed to calling or receiving a call from Syguda and being greeted with, “Ed Syguda here.’’ That told us right away that something interesting or exciting was happening with the Cardinals because Ed knew exactly what the public wanted to watch, hear and read.
Reporters get uneasy or irritated working with pushy publicists or those who are on their way out the door and on the way home minutes after a sporting event. Syguda would always make sure the media had statistics and an answer to any question. He would leave only when we were finished.
"Ed's passion and integrity to the industry remained steady and of the utmost professional caliber during his tenure," said Jennifer Pearce, executive director of marketing and communications at Otterbein. "Many of our athletes were featured in the Columbus metro media outlets regularly - a challenging feat in the shadow of Ohio State. They got their due thanks to Ed and the relationships he formed over the years.
"He was, and continues to be, an excellent photographer on the field, courtside and countryside," Pearce added. "Our student-
Syguda with children Aaron and Jordan as he receives the 2007 Otterbein Athletic
Director's Award of Distinction from Hall of Fame basketball coach Dick Reynolds.
athletes, parents and historical archives have cherished memories of the success and contributions to Otterbein thanks to Ed and his hard work."
Amazingly, Syguda didn’t know what he was getting into when he applied for the job in 1984. He had been working as a publicist for the United States Trotting Association since graduating from Ohio State in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
“I wanted to work on a college campus and Otterbein was a great opportunity, but I didn’t know what an SID really did,’’ he said. “Otterbein was looking for a photographer who also could do public relations. At that time, not a whole lot of schools in Division III had full-time SIDs. I thought I had the communication and writing skills, and I was a good photographer.’’
Otterbein didn’t have to look for another person for that job for 31 years. Syguda took about 70 percent of the university’s photos, designed and edited media guides and oversaw 20 varsity teams. His publications earned 23 awards from CoSIDA.
In 1992, Syguda also was instrumental in getting news out that the Otterbein and Heidelberg football teams would play in a unique game called the Rhine River Cup in Germany. The teams still play for the trophy in the OAC.
Outside the university, Syguda worked many Division I men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, the 10th Pan American Games, the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
Ranking higher for him, though, was following the Cardinals on the road to their only men’s national championship in basketball in 2002. Luckily, he was able to scramble back home from Salt Lake City and work the tournament games.
Last summer, Syguda gave up his post to assistant Adam Prescott for the promotion of senior communications specialist and university photographer and continues his passion for photography today.