Related stories
• 2017 CoSIDA Special Awards Announced; Awards Presented During June Convention in Orlando
• More 2016-17 Special Awards Honoree Feature Stories
•
CoSIDA Hall of Fame
• Pete Kowalski Photo Gallery
Pete Kowalski (United States Golf Association), CoSIDA Hall of Fame
by Pete Moore, Syracuse University Director of Athletic Communications
Pete Kowalski has worked over 20 U.S. Open Championships.
You can take the man out of sports information but you can’t take the sports information out of the man. Exhibit A?
Pete Kowalski.
Kowalski is in his 19th year with the United States Golf Association (USGA) communications department. Although he is no longer situated on a college campus, Kowalski’s media-relations roots began taking hold while he was enrolled at Penn State University, and he’s gone on to promote the athletic communications profession with the manner in which he conducts business.
Kowalski returns to his College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) origins when he will be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in June.
He earned his undergraduate degree in journalism in 1978 and a master’s degree in sports administration in 1982 from Penn State. Kowalski was a four-year letter-winner on the Nittany Lion lacrosse team. In 1983, he was hired as an assistant sports information director at his alma mater.
Kowalski dove head first into the athletic communications field and quickly developed a reputation for his congenial manner and his enthusiasm on the job. He became a member of CoSIDA and the ECAC-Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA), and was active with both groups. Kowalski was a regular at the annual workshops and conventions conducted by CoSIDA and ECAC-SIDA.
Kowalski with wife Sandy at the 1997 CoSIDA Convention.
Nearly six years after his appointment at Penn State, in October of 1988, Kowalski was named director of sports media relations at Rutgers University. One of his colleagues at the time was John Paquette, who worked for the BIG EAST Conference then (and now).
“It was always a pleasure to work with Pete,” said Paquette. “Whether his team won or lost, he was as professional as someone could be. Pete knew how to get things done internally and always had a good grasp of the relationships with the local media.”
In 1994, during his tenure with Rutgers, Kowalski started a five-year term as an officer on the CoSIDA Board of Directors. He served as president of the organization during the 1997-98 school year.
Dave Wohlhueter, who was the sports information director at Cornell at the time, served on the board with Kowalski, as the organization’s treasurer. He saw firsthand Kowalski’s leadership qualities.
“Pete was a worker who led by example and he could always be counted upon for support no matter the project or obstacle,” recalled Wohlhueter. “He brought tremendous leadership to each position (in the officer rotation) as he moved up the ladder to the eventual goal as president.
Another long-time CoSIDA member, Boise State’s Max Corbet, followed Kowalski in the officer rotation and therefore worked closely with him.
“I was so fortunate to be a part of the CoSIDA officer rotation the same time Pete was serving our organization as president,” said Corbet. “Upon my selection to the position of third vice president, Pete was one of the first to welcome me to the group and I immediately became aware of his outstanding leadership and organization skills. Pete is a true professional and I’ve been so fortunate to call him my friend.”
In addition to the work he was doing at Rutgers, Kowalski also assisted media relations teams at a number of events including two football national championship games and the 1996 Final Four.
When an opportunity arose with the USGA in 1999, Kowalski transitioned out of college sports information. He was hired as an assistant manager of media relations. In two years’ time, Kowalski was promoted to media relations manager. Following eight years in that role, Kowalski moved up to manager of championship media relations, then became manager of championship communications in 2010. A year later, Kowalski took another step up when he was named director of championship communications.
Students from Penn State’s Curley Center for Sports Journalism meet
with Kowalski at the 2016 U.S. Open Championships.
Kowalski has staffed more than 110 USGA championships, including in excess of 20 U.S. Opens, during his tenure. He is also the media officer for the World Amateur Team Championships, a biennial competition run by the International Golf Federation.
“We all learned in journalism school that communications and PR is about building relationships, promoting honesty, and delivering exceptional service to the media so they can report fairly, accurately and in a timely fashion,” said Janeen Driscoll, director of public relations for the USGA. “Pete not only continues to live by that creed, earning the respect and trust of athletes and media alike — he is also an exceptional teacher.
“He’s simply one of a kind, and well deserving of this great honor.”
Through all the long hours of work and the many miles of travel, Kowalski has been devoted to his family. He and his wife, Sandy Miller, call Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, home base. They raised two sons, Patrick and Sean, who are both now college age.
Learn more about the 2017 CoSIDA Convention | Register Now