College Sports Information Directors of America

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CSC Women to Watch
Colena Roberts Lord
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Sports Information Director

by Barb Kowal, CSC Director of Operations and Professional Development

Colena Roberts Lord manages internal data and external media relations for 22 varsity athletics teams at NAIA member Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), located in Savannah, Georgia. This academic year — and summer — have been special and rewarding for SCAD’s sports information director. After working with numerous team and individual national champions, Roberts Lord got married in June right after attending CSC Unite 25 in Orlando. Then, in late June, Colena also was named the Sun Conference Sports Information Director of the Year.
 
Within CSC, Lord serves as a volunteer in NAIA leadership and governance as an at-large representative on the NAIA cabinet/NAIA-SIDA board. She also is a member of the CSC Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee.
 
She began her career as head club volleyball coach at Sweet Briar College from 2011-2012 and then was the graduate assistant volleyball coach at Mary Baldwin from 2012-2014. In 2015, Lord parlayed a skill set including recruitment, training and communications experience to a position as assistant athletic communications director at Susquehanna University before joing SCAD.
 
She is a two-time graduate of Mary Baldwin College (with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology/sociology in 2009, followed by a Master’s of Education in 2014).
 
Learn more about Lord, her background, what motivates her and her big year of achievements, below.
 
You’ve had a tremendously successful year at SCAD, with numerous team and individual national champions, hosting the NAIA men’s and women’s lacrosse national championships, earning Sun Conference Sports Information Director of the Year honors … and within the last month, getting married a year earlier than you had anticipated … Congratulations on it all! What are some of the highlights you experienced during this year of recognition?
CRL: This past year feels like a whirlwind, and sometimes a dream!

The beginning of the year started on a high note as we hired assistant sports information director Devin Knight after eight years of trying to secure the assistant position. This, to me, was one of the biggest successes. With as many sports as we have, I always felt like I was spread a bit thin as the year progressed.

Watching our teams and athletes earn the highest level of recognition is always amazing, and I never tire of promoting our team's success. However, the women’s soccer team winning the NAIA National Championship title is going to be at the top of my list. Women’s soccer this year was Devin’s team, and he was covering from the ground. Head Coach Rebecca Gunn was one of my first friends at SCAD, and watching her reach the top for the first time in program history will be a memory I’ll cherish always.

I know we’re not supposed to have favorite sports, but men’s and women’s lacrosse hold a special place in my heart, so hosting the Men’s and Women’s NAIA National Championships is one of my favorite things to do (this was the third year we’ve hosted both). Being part of the crew that makes the championships successful and meaningful for the athletes is priceless.

And then, there was your recent marriage …
CRL: My now husband Chad and I got engaged on January 1 and were planning a June 2026 wedding. However, we’ve been together for over eight years now and decided to elope in his parents’ backyard on Tybee Island just outside of Savannah two days after the conclusion of CSC Unite 2025!

We chose Friday, June 13th, because 13 has been my lucky number since I was in fourth grade, and it remained my number all the way through college. It was an absolutely perfect day. We will still have a formal ceremony next year.

And, your SID of the Year recognition …
CRL: To top off the year with the SID of the Year Award from the Sun Conference was the icing on the cake. It’s such an honor. It means everything to me and is one of the most significant accomplishments of my career. I am deeply honored to be recognized by my peers as the SID of the Year, as this is something I’ve strived for since I started at SCAD. I couldn’t have done it without Devin and our student worker team, and I’m thankful that the dedication and hard work our team put in this year was noticed.
 
Any initiatives or achievements you're most proud of from the 2024-25 academic year?
CRL: With the hiring of Devin, we were really able to focus on our social media presence (without missing a beat on other aspects of the job), and I’m pretty proud of what we were able to accomplish throughout the year, thanks to him.

In the past, social media would often fall to the back burner as the seasons got busy. Being able to split responsibilities so that we can maintain and improve the level of excellence we strive for across the board, while also focusing on social media, is a win-win for me.

What advice would you give to young women entering this profession/organization?
CRL: Do not hesitate to express your opinions and speak up. Athletics has been seen as the men’s club for years, but it’s not. We know what we’re doing and should not be afraid to step up and take charge. Seek out leadership opportunities, make friends at all levels, and don’t forget to have fun!

What is an anthropology/sociology major doing in this athletic communications career?
CRL: Anthropology and sociology, at their most basic level, are the study of humans and human cultures. What is athletic communications, but the study and promotion of humans doing athletic things?

As a child, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer or an archaeologist, but I excelled at sports. I played volleyball in college, but I still had the dream of being an archaeologist. During my summer breaks, I would work with a crew at Fort Pickett. I loved it! Upon graduating from college, I began working for an archaeology firm. I coached on the side for a few years, until an opportunity arose to return to my alma mater as a graduate assistant volleyball coach, which allowed me to pursue my master's degree. I hemmed and hawed until a close friend of mine sat me down and told me:

“You always seem happier when you’re coaching.”

I started thinking about it, realized they were right, and I went back to school to coach.

How did you make that pivot to athletic communications from coaching?
CRL: When I realized that I was happier coaching, I did everything in my power to continue pursuing my passion. In the process, I discovered my true passion for sports communications at the collegiate level.

During my two-year master’s program at Mary Baldwin, I coached, worked in the athletics department, and interned with the athletic director and sports information director - and I discovered my passion. I loved coaching, but I loved statistics more. As I worked with the SID, I found very quickly that the job was WAY more than statistics, and I loved every moment of it: keeping stats, capturing moments, and promoting our athletes to the best of my abilities.

After my two years were up, I graduated with a master’s in education, with an emphasis in higher education (administration). I secured a job on campus that provided room and board, which allowed me to serve as a volunteer assistant sports information director. Subsequently, I found my first position in athletic communications at Susquehanna University.
   
How did you adapt as a new sports communications professional at Susquehanna?
CRL: My assistant athletic communications director position was eye-opening. I had a great supervisor (Katie Meier O’Dell) who is no longer in the profession, but she taught me so much about what it takes to be a college sports communicator. I still use a lot of her guidance today. Through her supervision, I learned new sports, new ways of doing things, and how Google is your friend.

Lacrosse is one of my passion sports, but it was the last sport I learned. I remember my first lacrosse game at SU. Katie started typing stats, and I didn’t see a stat. I was so confused … that’s when I learned what a clear was. My first men’s game on my own, I stated every faceoff as a draw control, yeah, that was fun to fix later that night. But, through it all, I found my calling.

SU taught me many things, including how to problem-solve and how it’s okay to make mistakes. And, the biggest lesson I learned was how to be a professional in the world of college sports communication. I took those lessons and applied to be the SID at SCAD, landed the job, and have been here ever since.

As a two-person athletic communications office, how do you and assistant SID Devin Knight prioritize and navigate your coverage and storytelling for 18 teams, including two coed teams (cycling and equestrian), plus two esports programs (League of Legends, Overwatch)?
CRL: There was definitely a learning curve this year as both Devin and I have been working as one-person shops in our professional careers. Devin came from the high school realm, where he was the only communications person and the girls’ soccer head coach, and I’ve been on my own for eight years.

With that being said, we split roles in a more “traditional” way, splitting our sports along gender lines for the field sports, and then taking on both teams in others. I oversaw men’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, tennis, equestrian, bowling, cross country/track & field, while Devin oversaw women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, golf, swimming, esports, and cycling. We would handle every aspect of our respective sports (game day, stories, awards, etc.), with Devin the primary social media contact, and I handling most of the student workers (excluding graphics and social media) as well as backend duties.

We learned a great deal over the year and will be adjusting our approach for the upcoming season to explore if there is a more effective way. With the new year approaching, Devin will oversee communications for both soccer teams, as he is an expert in soccer, and I will take on both lacrosse teams. Devin will oversee all of social media and our student workers, while I will handle the website, nominations for awards, and stories outside of game day, etc. The idea is that we work to our strengths to ensure our athletes are being covered to the best of our abilities.

What is your advice for other small schools/small staffs who also find themselves working with a myriad of teams and student-athletes?
CRL: My biggest advice to small schools/small staffs would be to work to your strengths, and don’t think you have to do everything on your own. When it was just me, and I realized that social media and graphics were taking a lot of my time and energy, and/or were getting dropped when other things arose, I requested Boxout to help save time. During that time, it was a lifesaver, allowing me to focus even more on the other 900+ things I had to do.

Also, make sure you take time to focus on your work-life balance. You may love your job, but you are not the job itself. If you don't take time for yourself, you will resent it, and what you once loved will no longer bring you joy.
 
How do you cultivate a strong and supportive team culture?
CRL: Communication! I know that’s what we’re supposed to be good at, right? It’s harder when it’s about you. Be open to differing opinions and don’t be afraid to admit when you're wrong. Talk it out. Take an interest in your colleagues, both in their work and personal lives. You don’t have to be friends (although that helps), but be friendly.

You find time to serve CSC as a member of the Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee, and you serve in NAIA leadership and governance as an at-large representative on the NAIA cabinet/NAIA-SIDA board. Why is this volunteer involvement important to you, and what are some of your takeaways from serving in these roles?
CRL: Volunteer involvement is vital to me because I have always wanted to give back to the community in some way. Unfortunately, working the number of hours we do sometimes makes it hard to do something outside of athletics. This is my way of giving back to our community.

I love my job and the college sports communicators community, which has done so much for me over the years. I have a passion for helping and mentoring new SIDs and those entering the communications field. The turnover rates are high in the sports communications field, and I felt that joining the CSC Professional Development committee would enable me to provide new colleagues with the support they need to continue in the profession I love.

Being on the CSC Professional Development committee for the past year, and then attending the CSC Convention, where I saw the committee's hard work in ensuring our colleagues got the most out of it, was very rewarding.

What would you say to encourage other CSC members to get involved in volunteering in the organization, especially if they are hesitant about the time needed to serve? 
CRL: Do it! You won’t regret it! But in all seriousness, it doesn’t take up as much time as you probably think it will, and if you pick something that you’re passionate about, it makes it much easier, as you are already invested. There are many committees that you could be a part of, both for CSC and whichever organization your school is a member of.

If you woke up to 1,000 unread emails and only had time to answer 100, how would you choose which ones to answer?
CRL: Well, my usual OCD way would be to work my way from the earliest email received to the newest. However, since I can only answer 100, I would sort them by sender and then work my way through the level of importance of who is actually emailing me – supervisor, assistant, other SCAD personnel, and outside sources.

Once you leave the office and work behind, we would find you doing what?
CRL: I’m either at home with my husband, relaxing with our cats Toby and Lucky, on the beach reading, or hanging out with family and/or friends.
 
Quick Hitters with Colena:
Tell us something about yourself that we would not find on your resume…I am a beach bum, avid reader, and crocheter.
This or that: board/card games or video games? That’s hard! Our family loves board/card games, but I also enjoy a good video game. I’ll go with board/card games.
Music or podcasts while driving? Neither! Books on tape.
Working in a quiet space or a vibrant one? Quiet, but I usually have a show on in the background—something I don’t have to pay attention to.
Free lunch or free dessert? Lunch!
What could you give a 30-minute presentation about with no advance preparation? The three phases of archaeological surveying.