GNAC Introduces Specialist Program
This year the Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the addition of five specialists in the areas of communications, marketing, public relations, and special events.
By Natalie West
GNAC Communications and Special Events Specialist
This year the Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to
announce the addition of five specialists in the areas of
communications, marketing, public relations, and special
events.
Due to this year’s overwhelming response for the NCAA
internship/Assistant Commissioner position, GNAC Commissioner Joe
Walsh decided to create additional opportunities for a few of those
qualified applicants entering the field of athletics. Commissioner
Walsh stated, “there were nearly 400 talented applicants that
he felt had the potential for a win-win situation for both the GNAC
and the individuals.”
Today there are very few opportunities for young professionals in
college athletics. Walsh wanted to create an internship for some of
those applicants in order to gain experience for their future
careers.
According to Walsh, “one new event that would not be possible
without the additional staff is the 15th Anniversary DVD that will
document the past and present GNAC moments. Additionally, with the
marketing and public relations interns, the pursuit of new and
additional corporate partners should increase.”
Rebecca Everett, an Emerson College graduate, was named the GNAC
Marketing Specialist. She will assist with athletic marketing
initiatives, event planning, and various special projects. Everett
received a degree in Marketing and Public Relations as well as a
minor in Broadcast Journalism. Being a two-sport athlete, two-year
basketball captain, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member
for the Lions she showed tremendous leadership and dedication to
the Emerson Athletic program. In addition to working with GNAC, she
is a coordinator and event specialist for the American Diabetes
Association.
Missy Lumas enters the GNAC staff as the Championships and
Marketing Specialist by assisting with sponsorship development,
championships, and updating the GNAC manual and policies. An
Albertus Magnus alum, Lumas earned a degree in Management with a
concentration in Marketing. Also a two-sport student-athlete, she
played both basketball and tennis and was named the 2007 Albertus
Magnus College Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Lumas received a
Masters degree in the Management of Sports Industries from the
University of New Haven. In addition to her playing experience,
Lumas served as a Graduate Assistant in the UNH Athletic
Department, working in the area of marketing & game management.
Currently, Lumas works as an intern with the Bridgeport Bluefish, a
minor league baseball team.
Melissa Maitland enters the GNAC as the Sports Information Director
Specialist. Maitland graduated top of her class with a 3.93 GPA
from Boston University’s College of Communication and has
recently received her Masters in Sports Management from Endicott
College. Before joining the GNAC, Maitland interned for various
sports organizations and television stations, including the Lowell
Devils (AHL) ice hockey team, and both WCVB-TV and WFTX-TV.
Garrett Quinn, a University of New Hampshire graduate, will be
assisting the GNAC with Special Events. Quinn will aid in the
coordination and execution of special events and award ceremonies.
Quinn is the Founding Donor of the Danielle Marie Thompson Memorial
Fund, which provides financial assistance to UNH students who
participate in a study abroad program. Currently, Quinn works
full-time as the Payroll Manager for Entercom-Boston Communications
located in Brighton, Mass.
Natalie West will assist the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in
the area of Communications and Special Events. West graduated from
Simmons College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a minor
in Communications. Currently, West is pursuing a Masters in Sports
Management from Northeastern University and serving as the
Assistant Sports Information Director at Simmons. Prior to arriving
at the GNAC, West served as a webcast videographer for BullPen
Media Inc. and worked as a softball pitching/hitting instructor. A
former Simmons College student-athlete, West was a three-sport
athlete playing softball, field hockey and lacrosse.
“With the assistance of these specialists, the GNAC will
become a national model for other conference internship
programs,” states Walsh. He hopes that by introducing these
specialists into the conference it may result in them landing jobs
within the GNAC or other another college athletic department.
