College Sports Information Directors of America

Related Content
• 2021 Special Awards Announcements and Features
• #CoSIDA21 Virtual Convention Home
• Past 25-Year Award Recipients

---

Amy Dambro – University of Wyoming, Assistant Director Media/Public Relations

CoSIDA 25-Year Award

by Tim Harkins – University of Wyoming, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations, Public Relations and Broadcasting

Life doesn't always take you where you think it will. For Amy Dambro of the University of Wyoming media relations office, she didn't imagine that she would have a 25-year career in college athletics – all at her alma mater. Yet the experience has been one that has filled her life with many great relationships with student-athletes and co-workers through the years.
 
Dambro originally hoped to be a sports television journalist. After graduating from Wyoming in 1995, she spent a year working at KGWN-TV in her hometown of Cheyenne, Wyo., but a year into her first professional job her career took a turn.

"I didn't at all plan on this being my career," said Dambro. "My intended career was to be a sportscaster.  I wanted to be the next Linda Cohn on ESPN. I originally tried the TV side of things for a year, but then a graduate assistant job came open here at Wyoming and I got a phone call from Kevin (McKinney) asking me if I was interested in coming back. Now, here I am 25 years later."

Kevin McKinney is Wyoming's former longtime Sports Information Director and current Senior Associate A.D. for External Affairs at Wyoming. 
 

"Amy has dedicated her entire professional career to the promotion of collegiate athletics, and in particular our Cowboy and Cowgirl student-athletes," said McKinney."All the while she has been a tremendous advocate for her alma mater.She has Brown and Gold running through her veins, and I couldn't be more proud of her, or pleased for her. Amy is very deserving of this recognition."

The University of Wyoming now has four of its sports information directors recognized with a 25-Year Award, the most by any institution. Wyoming's four honorees since the award was started in 1991 are Dambro, along with myself and Diane Dodson (both honored in 2015) and McKinney in 1999.
 
From my personal standpoint, we are extremely happy that Amy is being recognized for her years of service to our profession and to the University of Wyoming. I have worked with Amy since she was a student intern for us. She has touched the lives of many student-athletes during her time at Wyoming and has done a great job of promoting their successes and telling their stories. It's great to see good people be recognized for their hard work, and we thank Amy for her ongoing service to our department and the University of Wyoming.
 
Dambro's transition into the world of college athletics was an easy one. She previously served as a student manager for the Cowboy football team and later worked as an undergraduate intern in the UW sports information office.

"What I've enjoyed most has been the chance to watch student-athletes come in as 18-year olds and see them grow into adults," said Dambro. "You just hope you can contribute to their growth in their four or five years in college. 

"I've been able to develop relationships with those athletes to where I still talk with many of them years after they've completed their college careers and that is a special part of this business for me.  I really enjoy having those connections years after student-athletes are gone from campus."

Over the length of her career, Dambro has been part of some of the most iconic moments in Wyoming Athletics history. She led the publicity efforts for Cowgirl Basketball's 2007 WNIT Championship season and 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament appearance. In connection with those teams, Dambro coordinated the All-America campaign for Cowgirl Hall of Famer and All-American Hanna Zavecz.  In volleyball, she coordinated the All-America campaign for AVCA All-American Jodi Purdy.  In 2015, Dambro traveled with the men's basketball team to the 2015 NCAA Tournament in Seattle, Wash and followed a year later by helping Wyoming host the 2016 Mountain West Football Championship Game when the Cowboys were led by quarterback Josh Allen. Dambro also worked as a member of the media relations staff for the 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four in Denver, Colo.
 
"The women's basketball teams in 2007 and '08 were special," noted Dambro. "Winning the WNIT National Championship game on our home court in front of over 15,000 fans was an amazing experience, and then going to Wyoming's first NCAA women's basketball tournament the next year was a great memory. I also had the opportunity to travel with that team to Australia in May of 2008, which was a wonderful experience.  Those are some of the players I still stay in touch with today. That was a special group.
 
"We have had some great volleyball players and teams through the years and seeing our soccer team win a share of the Mountain West regular-season championship in 2018 was another great memory."
 
While she didn't think she would spend her entire career at her alma mater, Dambro says it has worked well for her and her husband Michael.
 
"My family is close and Michael's family is right here in Laramie, so that has been nice for both of us to be able to stay involved with our families."