CoSIDA approved a new set of officers and Board of Director representatives to serve the professional athletic communications association for the 2017-18 academic year and beyond during the CoSIDA business meeting Tuesday.
Current CoSIDA President
Andy Seeley (UCF) will pass the gavel to 2017-18 CoSIDA President
Rob Carolla Wednesday at the conclusion of the Special Awards Luncheon before the 2017 CoSIDA Convention comes to a close later in the day. CoSIDA holds its annual convention in conjunction with NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week.
Carolla will serve as the 63rd president of CoSIDA for a one-year term in 2017-18 after serving as first vice president during 2016-17.
"It is an honor and privilege to serve as the president of CoSIDA for the 2017-18 academic year," Carolla said. "I look forward to continuing the great work of our past presidents while teaming with the Board of Directors to advocate for the talented members of the college athletics communications profession."
Seeley will transition to Past President as he completes his work on the board as an officer. In a newly-approved CoSIDA constitutional amendment, the Past President is now included as a CoSIDA officer.
Also elected to serve the 3,100-member CoSIDA organization for the 2017-18 term and in the presidential rotation are first vice president
Rob Knox, Towson University Athletic Media Relations Associate Director
and
Herb Vincent, Southeastern Conference Associate Commissioner for Communications second vice president.
Sam Atkinson (Gallaudet) was elected to serve as Third Vice President. Atkinson has served two years as an At-Large College Division Representative.
Jeff Hodges (North Alabama Assistant Director/Communications) continues as secretary of the organization and rounds out the officers.
New members elected to serve the board in 2017-18 include
Amie Canfield (Mount Holyoke College),
Paul Smith (Arkansas Tech) and
KatieJo Kuhens (Wartburg College).
Canfield will serve as College Division Representative – Northeast Region while Smith will serve as the College Division Representative – Central Region. Both have been elected to three-year terms. Kuhens has been elected to a one-year term as At-Large College Division Representative to fill the vacated position left when Atkinson was named third VP.
Returning board members include:
•
Bill Dyer, Virginia Tech – At-Large Representative (term expires 2018)
•
Diane Nordstrom, Wisconsin – At-Large Representative (term expires 2018)
•
Tyler Cundith, Johnson County Community College – At-Large College Representative (term expires 2018)
•
Jessica Poole, Mississippi – At-Large Representative (term expires 2019)
•
Amy Yakola, Atlantic Coast Conference – At-Large Representative (term expires 2019)
•
Danny Barnts, Point Loma – College Division Representative – West Region (term expires 2019)
•
Jay Stancil, Union (Ky.) – College Division Representative – Southeast Region (term expires 2019)
The slate of 2017-18 candidates were nominated by the membership during the spring semester and were selected by the CoSIDA Nominating Committee, comprised of the organization's past presidents and out-going Board of Director members. That Committee was chaired by
Judy Willson, Mountain West Conference,
who served as CoSIDA's past president during 2016-17.
Ex-Officio members are CoSIDA Executive Director
Doug Vance, Associate Executive Director
Will Roleson, Director of Professional Development & External Affairs
Barb Kowal, Director of Membership Engagement
Laurie Bollig, and Director of Creative Services
Beau White. (Staff bios)
More on 2017-18 CoSIDA President Rob Carolla
Rob Carolla has served as Director of Communications at the Big 12 Conference since October 2004. He served as media coordinator for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship and numerous NCAA Men's Basketball Championship events. He also oversaw the digital media staff on all facets of the conference's digital programs involving website, social media and video operations.
Before the Big 12, Carolla worked at the BIG EAST for nearly eight years as Director and Assistant Director of Communications and a year and a half as Assistant Director of Communications at Conference USA.