Miami Athletics Announces Department Promotions
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami Department of Athletics announced Friday several staff promotions within the academics, business, communications, fundraising and training departments.
The Hurricanes promoted Chris Cohen to Associate AD, Development; Dillon Boggs to Senior Development Director, Annual Giving; Camron Ghorbi to Director, Athletics Communications; Alfonso Restrepo to Development Director, Major Gifts; Alex Schwartz to Associate Director, Athletics Communications; Leah Gross to Director, Brand & Consumer Marketing; Natalie Fontela and Javier Jimenez to Associate Athletic Trainer; Alejandro Rengifo and Danielle White to Associate Director, Athletics Marketing; Danielle Addicott to Premium Client Experience Specialist; Karai Lockley to Assistant Director, Business Operations; and Dr. Barbara Stratton to Assistant Director of Educational Services.
Currently in his 15th year in the Hurricane Club and 18th overall at the University of Miami, Cohen serves as the senior athletics fundraiser, working with the administration and coaches to identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts in support of capital projects, endowed scholarship support and leadership annual giving.
Boggs, who was hired in the fall of 2013, serves as a development officer with the Hurricane Club. He is responsible for securing leadership annual fund gifts and major gifts in support of Miami Athletics. Additionally, Boggs oversees prospect research and manages the official Hurricane Club Twitter account, @Give2UM.
Restrepo started at Miami in January 2013 and handles the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gifts donors to UM Athletics. With his promotion, he will continue to work as a member of the major gifts team, supporting all major fundraising initiatives, and continue to work to fund all capital projects, increase giving with our former student-athletes, supporting the Building Women’s Champions Campaign and increasing the Athletics Department endowment.
Ghorbi has been with the athletics department since 2011 following his graduation from UM. He continues to oversee communications efforts for the football and swimming and diving programs.
Schwartz started at Miami in October 2014 and is UM’s communications contact for the women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams. With his promotion, he will have additional responsibilities with on-camera work for Miami’s digital platforms as well as ACC Network Extra broadcasts.
Gross has worked at UM since July 2014 and now handles the development and implementation of the brand and e-commerce marketing strategy. She is building strategic initiatives to create new revenue-generating opportunities, managing the department’s e-mail campaigns and communicating the UM brand through e-mail marketing.
Fontela started with UM in July 2015 and serves as the women’s basketball team’s athletic trainer. Her responsibilities include coordinating new/returning/exit physicals, leading new staff orientation, assisting with staff in-service programs and conferences, serving as the ATEP liaison and supporting administrative duties.
Jimenez started July 2016 and serves as the men’s basketball team’s athletic trainer, providing direct medical care to men’s basketball as well as the Hurricanes’ spirit squads. He also assists with staff development and administrative duties.
A 2012 (undergraduate) and 2013 (graduate) alumnus of the University of Miami, Rengifo joined UM in December 2014. He is the primary marketing contact for the baseball program and the women’s soccer program. In addition, Rengifo focuses on student attendance and oversees the mascot program.
White joined UM in September 2016 and oversees the marketing department’s promotional efforts for women’s basketball. She also handles community relations, the internship program and the spirit squad liaison efforts for the marketing department.
Addicott started at UM in January 2017. In her role she provides world-class service for all Hurricanes’ season ticket holders. She also helps facilitate a great in-game experience for fans at all home football, baseball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball games.
Lockley has worked at UM since January 2015. She identifies and oversees several purchasing initiatives to increase efficiencies and decrease costs and also advises administrators on financial implications associated with operational decisions. She also meets with vendors for the presentation of new products to meet operational goals.
Dr. Stratton started with UM Athletics in 2009. She coordinates the Freshman Academic Success Transition (FAST) for freshman football student-athletes and administers skill assessment instruments to identify student-athletes with learning difficulties. She also designs and implements structured, individualized academic interventions for assigned student-athletes including instruction in areas of academic skill and strategy weakness. She provides instruction in areas including reading comprehension, note taking, test taking, time management, study skills, concentration, memory motivation, faculty interaction, classroom engagement and other learning strategies.
