College Sports Information Directors of America

Mindy Brauer and Lauren Dellipoali of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been named the D3SIDA Communicators of the Year, as announced by the D3SIDA board of directors on August 19. The duo are the first to earn the award in its inaugural year after being lauded with Region 1 honors for their outstanding work and accomplishments during the 2023-24 academic year. 

This new D3 recognition was created by the D3SIDA board to honor NCAA DIvision III sports communicators for outstanding work, navigating difficult decisions, and for outstanding creative content and storytelling. 

Brauer serves as MIT’s assistant director of DAPER communications, promotions, and marketing, while Dellipoali is the department’s communications, promotions and marketing assistant.

Candidates were divided into Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4 and conference affiliations. Nominations for these regional and conference awards were solicited from all those working in college athletics, regardless of division. All nominees had to be current members of the College Sports Communicators (CSC) national association. The NCAA Division III membership then voted on the regional awards and the conference award, with the D3 board selecting the national award winners.

COMMUNICATORS OF THE YEAR & REGION 1 WINNER - MIT

Under the leadership of the late Ken Johnson, and later in his absence, Brauer and Dellipoali exhibited outstanding professionalism and commitment to their roles at MIT. Following the untimely passing of Johnson in February 2024, Brauer and Dellipoali handled their jobs and responsibilities admirably while grieving for a lost friend and colleague. 

Beyond their professional accomplishments, the MIT Athletics Communications office has faced significant challenges this year with resilience and grace. Despite these adversities, their commitment to excellence has not wavered, and they have continued to achieve remarkable results.

Johnson, Beauer and Dellipoali celebrated plenty of accomplishments and milestones throughout 2023-24 as MIT finished seventh in the final annual LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings. This marked the ninth time the Engineers finished in the top 10 nationally amongst the top D3 programs in the nation. Winning the NEWMAC Women's Presidents Cup for the ninth straight season and 10th overall, MIT captured 11 NEWMAC Championships with five top-10 NCAA finishes and a single-season record 138 All-American performers.

“It is very bittersweet to receive this honor,” said Brauer. “I want to express my gratitude for the MIT staff and our colleagues in the region who helped us throughout the year. Their assistance and support won’t be forgotten.”

“I’d like to thank D3SIDA for implementing this award and all of those who took the time to nominate and vote for us,” noted Dellipaoli. “This is an incredible honor for our staff and MIT Athletics. This past year was extremely difficult for us with Ken’s passing, but we are so fortunate to work at an incredible place and in an incredible field where we received an immense amount of support. From our Director of Athletics/DAPER Department Head Dr. G. Anthony Grant, to the rest of our staff, coaches, student-athletes, and all of our colleagues from near and far, none of this would have been possible without them. 

Ken was extremely passionate about MIT athletics and promoting the incredible achievements of our student-athletes, and I am so proud that we were able to honor his memory by continuing to support and promote our outstanding teams and student-athletes throughout this year. ROLL TECH!”
 

REGION 2 COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR - JEFFREY BERNSTEIN (NYU)

Jeffrey Bernstein, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications at New York University, has been named the inaugural D3SIDA Region 2 Communicator of the Year.

The NYU Athletic Communications Office was busier than ever in 2023-24 as the Violets rose to the top of the Learfield Cup Standings after the winter season, ultimately finishing in the No. 5 national spot following the spring season - the highest finish in school history. Leading the charge was the NYU women’s basketball team, which captured the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship.

During the women’s basketball run, along with the other teams' success, Bernstein was able to secure coverage in the New York media while NYU competed in its historic 2023-24 season.

"I am humbled to receive this honor, and I am overwhelmingly appreciative to my peers for this recognition,” said Bernstein, who is a CSC Hall of Famer. “As someone who has been at this for quite a while, it's nice to know that hard work and communication skills are still vitally important in our jobs. Talking to people about our teams and student-athletes goes a long way in getting them the recognition they deserve, and I am glad that I was able to convey that to our local media throughout an outstanding 2023-24 academic year at NYU."  
 

REGION 3 COMMUNICATORS OF THE YEAR - CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY

Rob Silsbee and Kenny Kline of Christopher Newport University were lauded with the D3SIDA Region 3 Communicators of the Year award. Silsbee serves as CNU’s assistant director of athletics for strategic communication while Kline is the assistant sports information director.

Silsbee and Kline went above and beyond this year to save the College Division All-State voting for the Virginia Sports Information Directors’ organization. The duo compiled complete ballots for 21 of the 22 possible all-state teams, gathered every all-conference selection, all-american, and national qualifier from every school within the membership, pulled statistics for each student-athlete and created the ballots to membership. In addition, they set up a timeline for voting and execution of the all-state teams for the College Division. 

The extra effort to save the integrity of the VaSID All-State College Division awards was commendable and earned the pair recognition from their region.

“We are extremely humbled and honored to be the first to receive this honor,” noted Silsbee. “To be recognized by our colleagues for our hard work and dedication is the ultimate compliment. The expectation we have set at Christopher Newport is to provide our student-athletes and coaches with the best we can, day in and day out, and we hope to continue providing that level of excellence.”
 

REGION 4 COMMUNICATORS OF THE YEAR - ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Rounding out the regional winners are Illinois Wesleyan University. Led by assistant athletic director - athletic communications Katie Gonzales, the staff of Taiah Gallisath, Meredith Mahoney, Kelly Carlson and Tyler Willson were tabbed the D3SIDA Region 4 Communicators of the Year. 

The honor caps off a tremendous year of recognition for Gonzales. One of the key leaders in CSC, Gonzales ascended to the chair of the CSC Academic All-America Core Program Committee in October, was named a CSC Rising Star, a NADIIIA Emerging Leader and, In the summer, was elected to the CSC Division III cabinet and D3SIDA board, currently serving as Second Vice President. In early August, she was appointed to the CSC Board of Directors. Due to her dedication to the CSC Academic All-America program, she earned a CSC Presidential Award at the June CSCUNITE24 convention in Las Vegas.

In her first year as assistant director of athletic communications, Gallisath served as host SID for conference and Division III Championship events. Assistant director of athletic communications Mahoney helped with hosting several CCIW and NCAA Championships, including a stellar effort in hosting the 2024 CCIW Women’s Tennis Championship. Mahoney also served on the CSC Academic All-America and Young Professionals committees. 

Graduate assistant Carlson covered IWU men’s soccer first-ever conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Streaming coordinator Tyler Wilson played an integral role in drastically improving streaming of Illinois Wesleyan’s athletic events and increased the department’s streaming coverage and caliber of events.

"It is an honor to be nominated alongside our colleagues, let alone to be recognized within our region,” Gonzales said. “We are fortunate to work alongside outstanding athletic communications folks around the country, while having the opportunity to work alongside wonderful student-athletes, coaches, and staff at Illinois Wesleyan. We would like to thank our colleagues for nominating and voting for us, as well as the D3SIDA board for finding ways to recognize the great work being done around the country. 

It truly is a full team effort at IWU. We could not do the things we do, at the level we strive for, without the efforts of our incredible student staff. At a time when many schools are cutting back, Illinois Wesleyan is investing in athletic communications and the impact it can have on the overall athletic department and campus community. This recognition is a testament to the support our department, and each of us individually, receives as part of Titan athletics and IWU."
 

CONFERENCE COMMUNICATORS OF THE YEAR - NEW ENGLAND SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Andrea Savage, Adele Burk and Lisa Champagne of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) have been named the D3SIDA Conference Communicators of the Year. 

Savage was named the 2024 Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders and Champagne was inducted into the College Sport Communicators Hall of Fame this past June. While overcoming personal challenges and hardships, the trio in the NESCAC office never wavered and continued to promote the conference at a championship level. 

“It is an honor to be recognized as the 2023-24 D3SIDA Conference Communicators of the Year,” said Savage. “Receiving this award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of my colleagues in the conference office, Lisa Champagne and Adele Burk. Their expertise and unwavering commitment are invaluable in supporting and highlighting the efforts and accomplishments of our 7,000 plus student-athletes across the conference’s 27 sports.” 
 

The D3SIDA Board would like to thank each individual who took time to nominate and vote for the inaugural year of awards. If you have feedback about the awards process, please email D3SIDA President Ali Paquette at apaquette@middlebury.edu