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2020 Special Awards Announcements
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization continues its weeklong announcement of its 2020 Special Awards Tuesday by recognizing six outstanding members for top university division and college division honors. These honors are presented for distinguished contributions to the profession.
Cindy Potter, the Associate Director of Athletics - Director of Media Relations and Compliance at Columbia College (Missouri) and the CoSIDA Second Vice President, will be recognized with the 2020 Warren Berg Award while
Judy Willson, LSU Associate Athletic Communications Director, will receive the Arch Ward Award.
Both awards are presented annually to a CoSIDA member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of athletic communications, and who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession. The Berg Award is exclusively a college division honor.
Kara Fisher, the Assistant Athletic Communications Director at Michigan State University, and Southern Indiana University Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
Dan McDonnell are recipients of this year’s Achievement Award for university and college divisions, respectively
The CoSIDA Achievement Awards are presented to associate or assistant media relations directors with 10 or more years of athletic communications service who have made outstanding contributions to the field and provide exceptional service to their institution or conference office.
Two Assistant Athletics Directors of Communications —
Danielle Percival of Piedmont College and Princeton University’s
Chas Dorman — earn the 2020 Rising Star Awards for college and university divisions, respectively.
The Rising Star awards honor those with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution and service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in athletic communications.
All 2020 Special Award winners will be honored at CoSIDA’s annual convention, which takes place June 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Conference Center in Las Vegas. CoSIDA’s convention is held in conjunction with NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week.
Here's a closer look at these special awards recipients.
WARREN BERG AWARD
Cindy Potter – Columbia College (Mo.)
Associate Director of Athletics - Director of Media Relations and Compliance
A national leader in CoSIDA and in the NAIA.
As a long-time athletic department staff member at her alma mater,
Cindy Potter handles multiple management responsibilities at the NAIA institution. She became Columbia College's first associate athletic director in the summer of 2011 and now directly oversees media relations, compliance, athletic training and all operations for the eight sports. In early 2019, she also served as interim athletic director for the Cougars.
Potter is currently the second vice-president of CoSIDA and will assume the presidency of the organization during the 2021-22 academic year. She also has served as a member of the CoSIDA board of directors, a term which began in 2011.
In 2008, Potter received CoSIDA’s College Division Rising Star award for her dedication and commitment to the profession.
Previously at Columbia College, Potter was named the assistant director of athletics/media relations and compliance in 2007 after holding the title of Coordinator of Athletic Information and Compliance.
Potter was inducted into the Columbia College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 for her softball contributions as a player. She was team captain and awarded NAIA Scholar Athlete, All-Conference, All-Region and National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors.
Serving on numerous committees for both CoSIDA and the NAIA, Potter is past president of the board for the NAIA division of Sports Information Directors after serving a three-year role as president.
ARCH WARD AWARD
Judy Willson – LSU
Associate Athletic Communications Director
CoSIDA's award-winning past president.
A past president of CoSIDA, Judy Willson has served at a variety of schools and conferences as an athletic communications professional during her career. She is currently in her third year at LSU after also having worked at the Mountain West Conference, University of New Mexico, University of Louisiana at Monroe, University of Denver, and the Sun Belt Conference. Willson spent 10 years working at NCAA Division II institutions and conferences as well, starting athletics communications offices at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and Eastern New Mexico University.
Willson served as the local host media coordinator for the 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four and has worked on the NCAA Women's Final Four Media Coordination Committee for the past 10 years. She has also volunteered at other national championships and bowl games.
Willson served as president of CoSIDA during the 2015-16 academic year. As a past president, she is on the CoSIDA Nominating Committee and is in her first year on the Academic All-America Committee after having contributed to numerous CoSIDA committees and task forces. She also served a five-year term on the CoSIDA Board of Directors as an at-large representative.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, UNIVERSITY DIVISION
Kara Fisher – Michigan State
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Experienced professional in NCAA Division I.
Kara Fisher has worked at both large and small Division I schools, bringing a wealth of experience to her current position at Michigan State. She previously held positions at Utah State where she was assistant director of media relations, the Western Athletic Conference (as media relations director) and South Carolina (assistant media relations director).
Fisher has primary athletic media relations responsibility for women's basketball and men's soccer and has oversight of women's soccer and track and field/cross country duties. A mentor of both young professionals and students, Fisher is the first person that the students in the Spartan athletic communications office come to for her patience and knowledge as she helps guide the younger generation as they navigate their early career years.
Fisher is a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Committee and also volunteers with the CoSIDA mentorship program, providing knowledge and support to other women of color.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, COLLEGE DIVISION
Dan McDonnell – Southern Indiana
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Doing it all on the DII level.
Dan McDonnell is in his 16th year as the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at the University of Southern Indiana and his 18th overall year with the Screaming Eagles. He serves as the primary contact for volleyball, women's basketball and softball while as serving as the secondary contact for men's basketball, women's golf, men's and women's cross country and track and field.
In 2003, McDonnell became the Great Lakes Valley Conference SID for softball, a position he held for four years.
He has worked several conference championships and national championship events while at USI. In addition to his duties at USI and with the GLVC, McDonnell has been the Midwest Region coordinator for women’s basketball and softball for the Division II Conference Commissioner's (formerly Daktronics) All-America program since 2006.
RISING STAR AWARD, UNIVERSITY DIVISION
Chas Dorman – Princeton
Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
Experience at both the Division I and Division III level.
In his first year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Princeton University,
Chas Dorman is one of the youngest head SIDs on the east coast. A former Associate Director of Athletic Communications and Director of Social Media at the University of Pennsylvania where he directed social media strategy and content for 33 Division I athletic programs, Dorman also worked at NCAA Division III Lebanon Valley College.
While at Penn, he was named the 2017 National Wrestling Media Association Division I Sports Information Director of the Year. Known for his social media acumen, he presented at the 2017 ECAC-SIDA workshop on social media and was a guest lecturer in Temple’s Sport Management program on social media strategy/analytics. He served as the media relations director for the Penn Relays and also assisted at major NCAA events, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regional, NCAA Division I Frozen Four and NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Lacrosse championships.
On the CoSIDA level, he is a member of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week Committee and Stabley Writing Contest Committee and has presented at several CoSIDA conventions.
RISING STAR AWARD, COLLEGE DIVISION
Danielle Percival – Piedmont
Assistant Athletic Director of Communications
From broadcasting to sports information.
Danielle Percival is in her sixth year at Piedmont College. In the fall of 2019, she was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director of Communications after holding the director of athletic communications position; she started her Piedmont career as assistant SID. Currently, she oversees a pair of full-time assistants along with interns and a student-work staff for the Lions.
In the summer of 2019, Percival expanded her role within CoSIDA as she was elected a member of the CoSIDA Board of Directors and will serve a three-year term. Percival also currently serves as a member of the Diversity & Inclusion committee within CoSIDA as well.
Percival has earned additional opportunities to further her experience as a recognized sideline reporter with ESPN and Raycom Sports. Beginning her career as a reporter and anchor at Troy University Television, Percival also worked with the Sun Belt Conference at the league's volleyball championships and football media days. Percival was named "Best Sports Anchor" and "Best Sports Reporter" by TrojanVision in 2012 after being named the network's "Best Newcomer" the year before.
Named Florida Collegiate Summer League Broadcast Intern of the Year in 2013 for her work with the College Park Freedom, Percival also took home the Society of Professional Journalists "Mark of Excellence" Award in 2012.