Miami Athletics Announces Departmental Promotions
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami Athletics Department announced staff promotions within the Hurricane Club, equipment, student-athlete development, marketing, events, video and strength and conditioning Friday afternoon.
Following a record-breaking fundraising year in 2015-16, Miami Hurricane Club staff members Jesse Marks (Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development), Emily Boone (Assistant Athletics Director for Annual Giving), Jon Gombinski (Director of Development for Annual Giving), Dillon Boggs (Director of Development for Annual Giving) and Alfonso Restrepo (Associate Director of Development for Major Gifts) were all elevated to new titles.
Miami also promoted David Case (Assistant Athletics Director of Equipment), Shirelle Jackson (Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development), Drew Thomas (Director of Production Services), Steve Felde (Associate Strength Coach/Director of Olympic Sports Performance), Maddie Hasbrouck (Assistant Director of Marketing) and Michael Cox (Assistant Director of Events).
Marks, a 2005 Miami alum, has led the Miami Hurricane Club to unprecedented heights in major giving and annual giving participation since taking over as the lead fund raiser in 2010. Marks also has led his unit through the Momentum2 campaign and has raised over $130 million in support of UM Athletics. In his new capacity, Marks will continue to lead the Hurricanes’ fundraising department and will serve as a sport administrator reporting directly to Athletic Director, Blake James.
Boone, who joined the Hurricane Club as the donor relations manager in 2012, has spearheaded the department’s annual fund for the past four years. The North Carolina native led the annual fund to a record-breaking year, which saw all-time highs in annual donations, culminating with $12 million in 2016, representing an increase of over 21 percent compared to 2015. In her new capacity, Boone will continue to oversee the Hurricane Club Annual Fund as well as all communication and branding efforts.
Gombinski and Boggs were elevated after both individuals played a key role in the Hurricane Club’s record-breaking annual fund campaign. Both Gombinski and Boggs will resume their duties with the annual fund and will look to grow the Hurricane Club membership to even greater numbers this upcoming year.
Restrepo joined the Hurricane Club in 2012 and has been a key contributor in several fundraising initiatives and projects, including the Football and Basketball Victory Funds. He also has played a major role in helping increase former student-athlete giving. The Miami alum will continue to focus on Major Gifts and will see an increased responsibility on former student-athlete giving.
Case, who has led the Hurricanes’ equipment staff for the past four years, guided Miami through its transition to adidas as the department’s official apparel provider during the 2015-16 athletics season. He will continue to oversee the Hurricanes’ equipment staff and will see an increased role in the management of the department’s relationship with adidas.
Jackson was elevated to her new position after she spent the past two years transforming the Miami student-athlete experience by creating and implementing a comprehensive development area with a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Jackson will resume her oversight of the Hurricanes’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and will direct all student-athlete advancement programs in her new capacity. Most recently, Jackson was selected as the recipient of the 2016 Nell Jackson Award.
Thomas, who in his first year as the Hurricanes’ manager of production services, oversaw the production of over 100 live events on ESPN3. In his new capacity, Thomas will continue to oversee the production of ESPN3 live events and will direct all in-house video board feeds.
Felde moves into the role of Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach/Director of Olympic Sports Performance after spending the past three years as the Hurricanes’ assistant strength and conditioning coach, focusing on the Miami men’s basketball and women’s soccer teams. In his new capacity, the Milwaukee, Wis. native will focus on men’s basketball, women’s tennis, and women’s soccer with oversight of Hurricanes’ Olympic sports performance.
Cox joined the athletics team in the fall of 2015 as an event operations intern where he handled event management for baseball, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis and swimming and diving. Cox will continue his event management from this past season and will assist with operations throughout the 2016 football season.
Hasbrouck returned to her alma mater in Sept. of 2015 as a marketing assistant. She has currently serves as the marketing contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field and swimming & diving. She also assists with the marketing efforts for football, men’s basketball, baseball and leads the Hurricane athletics marketing internship program.
