GNAC Presents the 2010 Specialists

By Kisha Tapangan

Communications & Public Relations Specialist

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference boasts an array of individuals with unique experiences and talents to help elevate the conference in everything from special events to marketing.

GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh strongly believes in the importance of passing on vital knowledge to the future generation of collegiate sports professionals. By establishing this GNAC Specialists Program in 2009, it has successfully paved the way for bright and motivated professionals to gain more experience in the industry.

As the sports industry becomes increasingly competitive, opportunities like the GNAC Specialist Program will be able to provide unparalleled experiences to the six selected specialists for 2010.  Among the six selected, three are graduates of GNAC schools: Simmons College, Rivier College and Johnson & Wales University.

Catherine Carmignani arrives at GNAC as the newest Special Events Specialist.  Carmignani graduated from Simmons College in 2008 with B.A. in Business Management and is currently pursuing a Masters of Education in Athletic Administration at Springfield College.  Carmignani’s prior experience include serving as the Youth and Adult Sports Director at the Oaks Square YMCA in Brighton, Massachusetts. Carmignani also was the a Council Director for the national organization, Girls Run.  The Simmons College alum has also been the Assistant Coach of the Wentworth Institute of Technology Women’s Rugby Club.  The Dudley, Massachusetts native has also served as an intern for the Boston Cannons of the Major League Lacrosse, volunteers yearly for the Boston Marathon, and is dedicated to empowering young women to reach beyond their potential in both athletics and life.

Scott Wright Jr. is the Special Assistant to the Commissioner and received his B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2009 from Rivier College.  Wright Jr. has firsthand experience as a student-athlete during his tenure at Rivier College.  Competing all four years in the men’s volleyball program enabled Wright Jr. to become a member of the Student Athletics Advisory Committee and also provided enough experience for Wright Jr., to obtain an assistant coaching position at his former high school. Wright received the opportunity to work in social services at the Key Program Inc.  Scott continues to work with families in Northern Massachusetts by facilitating meetings to foster positive parent and child communication. It has been this experience that will help Wright Jr. fine tune the communication skills necessary to pursue a passion for Sports Management at the University of Southern New Hampshire in the Fall of 2010.

Rebecca Binder enters her first year as a GNAC Specialist.  Binder gained valuable experience during her college years while working in the Sports Information office for three years and eventually managed tournaments and supervises other student staff members.  Binder’s work was so outstanding that she was later awarded the Sphinx Spoon, the annual prize given to a student who did the most to promote Amherst athletics.  Upon graduation, Binder became an intricate part of the college’s Public Affairs Office.  Currently, the Scarsdale, New York native resides in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts and practices law in Boston where she represents private and municipal clients in a variety of civil litigation and real estate matters.

Kisha Tapangan will assist the Director of Conference Communications as the GNAC’s Communications & Public Relations Specialist.  The Texas native graduated from Johnson & Wales University with B.S. Sports, Entertainment & Event Management with minors in Sociology and Sports and Entertainment Facilities Management.  Tapangan has gained experience by working as the former Sports Editor for The Campus Herald, the Johnson & Wales University’s official student-produced publication.  Currently, Tapangan works in stadium operations at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and also is a contributing writer for Patriots Insider which is a division of FOX Interactive Media.  The Providence resident volunteers weekly at the Providence Children’s Museum in the planning and execution of all of their fundraising events.

Matthew DiCalogero is GNAC’s newest Marketing Specialist graduated from Stonehill College where he was part of the men’s basketball team for all four years.  DiCalogero received a B.A. in Business Administration in 2008 and is currently pursuing an MBA from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.  DiCalogero brings his expertise in marketing and sales in which he hopes to use to increase overall sponsorship for the GNAC website.  Currently, DiCalogero works as a graduate assistant at the Boston College School of Arts and Sciences.  Dicalogero is dedicated to staying involved with community sports as he has been coaching the Bay State Legends AAU basketball for two years and also runs various basketball camps throughout the summer.

Jillian LaForest comes to the GNAC as the Special Events and Championships Specialist.  LaForest recently graduated from Union College in New York where she received a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology.  As a student-athlete, LaForest played four years of lacrosse and was selected as their captain and was honored as a Liberty League Academic Lacrosse Player.  LaForest has extensive knowledge in special events as she worked as a Special Events Assistant for the United Way in Boston in which she helped assist the largest fundraiser event ever held in Boston.  The event eventually raised over $500,000.  With her passion in event planning, LaForest is excited to assist the GNAC is planning its first ever GNAC Lacrosse Clinic.

The Specialists have been selected and the list of projects is rapidly growing.  The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to welcome these six professionals as the newest specialists for the upcoming 2010 - 2011 year.  GNAC is the only conference in the country with such a unique program geared to provide an unbridled experience and professional development for a select few aspiring sports professionals.