The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) approved a new set of officers and Board of Director representatives to serve the professional athletic communications association for the 2020-21 academic year and beyond during its annual business meeting on June 12th. The business meeting was held as a virtual event as part of the #CoSIDA2020 virtual convention being conducted throughout the month of June.
During the business meeting, current CoSIDA President
Herb Vincent (Associate Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference) passed the gavel to 2020-21 CoSIDA President
Sam Atkinson, the Associate Athletic Director for Communications at Gallaudet University. Vincent will transition to Past President for the 2020-21 academic year as he completes his work on the board as an officer.
Atkinson will serve as the 66th president of CoSIDA for a one-year term in 2020-21 after serving as first vice president during this academic year.
He is the second sitting NCAA Division III President of the organization, following Eric McDowell (formerly of Union College, NY, 2014-15). Atkinson also is just the fourth representative of CoSIDA’s College Division (comprised of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools) to become President of CoSIDA.
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the president of CoSIDA for the 2020-21 academic year,” Atkinson stated. “The historical moment of a NCAA Division III member becoming CoSIDA’s President is not lost on me. I am hopeful this inspires others to strive to be leaders within our organization, as leadership knows no boundaries.
I want to thank my family and Gallaudet University for their support of me to follow my passion to support and champion this profession. I also want to congratulate our new slate of CoSIDA board members, who will make a positive impact and valuable contributions to our organization. The Board of Directors and staff are prepared to face difficult questions and make tough decisions this coming year for the betterment of our membership,” Atkinson concluded. “These are extraordinary times, times which will be a challenge for all of us, but we can and will get through this together.”
Also elected to serve the 3,100-member CoSIDA organization for the 2020-21 term and in the presidential rotation are First Vice President
Cindy Potter, Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations and Compliance at Columbia College of Missouri; and Second Vice President
Jessica Poole, Chicago State Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Revenue Generation. Potter and Poole are the fifth and sixth women in CoSIDA history serving in the officer’s rotation to the president’s role, and will be the first back-to-back female presidents in the organization's history.
Elected this month to serve as CoSIDA’s Third Vice President is
John Paquette, Big East Conference Senior Associate Commissioner, Sports Media Relations. Paquette is a former CoSIDA board member, having served a three-year term from 2009-12.
Jeff Hodges (North Alabama Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications) continues as secretary of the organization and rounds out the officers.
New members elected to serve the board in 2020-21 include:
- Mary Beth Challoner, University of Toronto Manager, Events and Marketing
- Michael Robles, California Community College Athletic Association Director of Sports Information and Communication
- Dan Ruede, University of New Haven Associate Director of Athletics for Strategic Communications
All three have been elected to three-year terms as College Division Representatives. Ruede will represent the Northeast Region, Challoner the Central Region, with Robles representing the West Region. Challoner is the second Canadian member to serve on the board while Robles is the third board member in CoSIDA history from a two-year organization to join the board.
Returning board members include:
- John Kean, Missouri University of Science and Technology Sports Information Director (term expires 2021)
- KatieJo Kuhens, Bethany Lutheran College Sports Information Director (term expires 2021)
- Danielle Percival, Piedmont College Director of Athletic Communications (term expires 2022)
- Lenny Reich, University of Mount Union Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Director (term expires 2022)
- John Sudsbury, Allstate Sugar Bowl Director of Media Relations and Communications (term expires 2021)
- Denise Thompson, Big Sky Conference Assistant Commissioner/Communications (term expires 2021)
- Kevin Trainor, University of Arkansas Senior Associate Athletic Director/Public Relations (term expires 2022)
The slate of 2020-21 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
Rob Knox, UNC Greensboro, Associate Athletic Director of Strategic Communications who served as CoSIDA's past president during 2019-20.
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.
Those rotating off the CoSIDA Board include
Amie Canfield (Vassar Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications),
Danny Kambel (former Pacific University, Ore. Sports Information Director) and
Paul Smith (Texas Women’s University Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications).