University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports Team Announced
7/18/2019 4:44:00 PM | General
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department, in conjunction with JMI Sports, has announced its staff for the newly formed Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports team. Pitt's long-term multimedia rights deal with JMI Sports began July 1, 2019, with JMI Sports becoming Pitt's official corporate partnership and multimedia rights partner.
Through this partnership, Pitt Athletics and JMI Sports seek to maximize the value of Pitt's varied multimedia assets, while developing valuable relationships with sponsors, fans, alumni and students through the delivery of corporate sponsorships and advertising; radio and television broadcasts; coaches shows and endorsements; website and social media; game programs and publications; in-game production and hospitality; venue signage and naming rights; special events and innovative activations.
Laila Brock has been named Vice President of Sponsorship Sales & Operations of Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports, becoming the property leader for JMI Sports at their recently announced University of Pittsburgh partnership. She oversees property sales and business operations and strategy with specific responsibilities including the development of the property sales and marketing strategy, activation, fulfillment, and university relations.
Brock joins JMI Sports following a six-year stint as the Senior Director of Operations and Logistics for the College Football Playoff. At the CFP, she was responsible for the management of the student-athlete experience and hospitality programs for the teams participating in the CFP National Championship, the citywide branding program, the overall transportation program as well as the production of the ancillary fan events associated with the National Championship weekend.
"When we embarked on the partnership with JMI Sports, we had great expectations for everyone in the organization and particularly with the leader of our property. JMI hired one of the best and brightest in our industry and we could not be more excited to work with Laila Brock," said Heather Lyke, Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh. "Laila is the consummate professional. She is well known and greatly respected in the sports industry. We are committed to doing everything we can to build a tremendous partnership and exceed our expectations."
"We are delighted to have Laila joining our team of highly experienced professionals," said Erik Judson, CEO of JMI Sports. "We believe our people are our greatest assets and a point of differentiation in this highly competitive marketplace. Laila brings a unique skill set to our company that will make us successful at Pittsburgh and add tremendous value to our growing company and other great partner universities."
Responsible for the development of several of the College Football Playoff's new fan events, including Playoff Fan Central, a three day, interactive event featuring celebrity appearances, sponsor activations and fan interactive activities, as well as AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!; a multi-day concert series featuring a variety of music genres each day, Brock was among a small group of athletic administrators selected to join CFP staff, lending her 15 years of intercollegiate athletics experience to the team. In five short years, the events became fan favorites and drew over 100,000 attendees annually due to her leadership and creativity.
Prior to joining to the College Football Playoff staff, Brock served as the Director of Events and Team Operations at the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC), the host organization for the Capital One Orange Bowl, where she oversaw a staff that managed the operations and logistics for the teams participating in the Orange Bowl and BCS National Championship Games. Additionally, she was responsible for the planning, management and execution of the OBC's festival and community outreach events. During her time at the Orange Bowl Committee, Brock created the student-athlete gift suite, which is now a standard practice among bowl games and NCAA championship events.
In 2011, Brock was recognized by her peers as a nominee for Biz Bash Events Magazine's Corporate Event Planner of the Year. Due to her unique blend of experiences in events and team operations, she is often called upon to speak at events industry conferences, sponsor summits, football operations conferences and institutions' women's football clinics. She also holds memberships with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Meeting Planners International (MPI) and Women in Sports and Events (WISE). She is an avid volunteer participating in youth mentoring programs and community projects through her membership in various service organizations.
Brock, a Washington, Pa., native, was a member of the 1997 United States Jr. National Track and Field team and competed in the Jr. Pan-American Games in Havana, Cuba. She was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 for her athletic achievements in track and field. Brock received a Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University, as well as a Master's degree from the same university. While at Penn State, she was a four-year letter winner and a captain of the women's track and field team.
"I am honored to take on such an incredible opportunity in leading this new partnership into a new phase of collaboration and success. This is a homecoming of sorts personally, after professionally having the fortune to travel the country with collegiate football," Brock explained. "The University of Pittsburgh athletic department and JMI Sports both strive to build a culture of excellence and a brand worthy of support. I look forward to cultivating the tremendous existing partnerships while also growing our presence and impact."
The complete Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports team is composed of Dan Ninemire (Sr. Account Executive, New Partnerships), Sean Siebenkittel (Sr. Account Executive, Key Partnerships), Mark Berger (Director of New Partnerships) and Rachel Cohen (Specialist, Key Partnerships).
Ninemire joins Pitt Sports Marketing after serving two stints as an assistant baseball coach here at the University of Pittsburgh in 2018-2019 and from 2001-2005. Prior to his return to Pitt, Ninemire performed the role of CEO for All American Baseball. While at All American Baseball, he oversaw the day-to-day operations as well as the build out and dedication of UPMC All American Park. He was also the co-founder of Atlantic Coast Baseball. Atlantic Coast Baseball provides tournament and league opportunities in the youth baseball space on the East Coast. Atlantic Coast Baseball is most noted for the New Era Cap Classic events as well as their Louisville Slugger Wood Bat World Series. Ninemire was instrumental in the growth and development of those events.
Siebenkittel joined the Pitt Sports Marketing Team and JMI Sports in July 2019 after coming over from the previous Pitt Multimedia Rights Team, which he joined in April of 2018. Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Siebenkittel spent two years with IMG College with the Cincinnati Bearcats Sports Marketing Team. He also spent five years in Columbus, Ohio with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, where he started out in Ticketing and was promoted to the Corporate Partnerships Team after two seasons.
Berger was engaged in senior leadership roles managing business development and marketing in several verticals such as sports & entertainment, facility management and mobile marketing prior to joining JMI Sports and Pitt Sports Marketing in July. He has directed sales and operations teams on the nuances of business development and client retention at several career stops and has provided his expertise to the Pittsburgh Pirates, SMG-managed sports & entertainment facilities in multiple markets and WQAM Sports Radio in Miami. His client-first approach to solution sales has benefited hundreds of firms throughout his career including Walgreens, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Disney, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Chevrolet, Carnival Cruise Lines, TruGreen ChemLawn, Terminix and ServiceMaster.
Cohen joined the JMI Sports team in June 2019 and assists primarily with the management of Key Partnership accounts through organizing and executing sponsorship activations and fulfilling assets. Prior to joining the team, she spent two years working for the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, where her primary responsibilities involved assisting the development team with managing the North Shore Riverfront Park, including preparing and executing agreements for special events and maintenance projects, and coordinating with local stakeholders. Cohen has previously worked in media relations within the athletic departments at Robert Morris, Florida, and Loyola [La.], and held game day media relations positions with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Orleans Pelicans.
About JMI Sports
JMI Sports is a full-service collegiate marketing firm providing the highest quality management of athletics multimedia rights. By breaking new ground in the creation of the Total Campus Marketing program, JMI Sports maximizes the economic potential of universities. JMI Sports is also a highly regarded project manager for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. In addition to the University of Pittsburgh, JMI Sports works with an impressive list of signature partnerships including Clemson University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Georgia (with IMG College), the University of Notre Dame (with Legends), the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University (with IMG College) and the Ivy League. JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. For more information please visit www.jmisports.com.
About Pitt Athletics
The University of Pittsburgh's intercollegiate athletics history dates back to 1869, when the university began to field a baseball team. Today, Pitt sponsors 19 varsity sports—nine men's teams and 10 women's programs—with more than 475 student-athletes vying for conference, regional and national honors. All varsity sports teams compete as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with the exception of gymnastics, which competes in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL). The Panthers' rich athletics history includes national championships in football (nine) and basketball (two). Pitt also boasts Olympic gold-medal performances in track, and silver and bronze medals in diving and basketball.
Through this partnership, Pitt Athletics and JMI Sports seek to maximize the value of Pitt's varied multimedia assets, while developing valuable relationships with sponsors, fans, alumni and students through the delivery of corporate sponsorships and advertising; radio and television broadcasts; coaches shows and endorsements; website and social media; game programs and publications; in-game production and hospitality; venue signage and naming rights; special events and innovative activations.
Laila Brock has been named Vice President of Sponsorship Sales & Operations of Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports, becoming the property leader for JMI Sports at their recently announced University of Pittsburgh partnership. She oversees property sales and business operations and strategy with specific responsibilities including the development of the property sales and marketing strategy, activation, fulfillment, and university relations.
Brock joins JMI Sports following a six-year stint as the Senior Director of Operations and Logistics for the College Football Playoff. At the CFP, she was responsible for the management of the student-athlete experience and hospitality programs for the teams participating in the CFP National Championship, the citywide branding program, the overall transportation program as well as the production of the ancillary fan events associated with the National Championship weekend.
"When we embarked on the partnership with JMI Sports, we had great expectations for everyone in the organization and particularly with the leader of our property. JMI hired one of the best and brightest in our industry and we could not be more excited to work with Laila Brock," said Heather Lyke, Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh. "Laila is the consummate professional. She is well known and greatly respected in the sports industry. We are committed to doing everything we can to build a tremendous partnership and exceed our expectations."
"We are delighted to have Laila joining our team of highly experienced professionals," said Erik Judson, CEO of JMI Sports. "We believe our people are our greatest assets and a point of differentiation in this highly competitive marketplace. Laila brings a unique skill set to our company that will make us successful at Pittsburgh and add tremendous value to our growing company and other great partner universities."
Responsible for the development of several of the College Football Playoff's new fan events, including Playoff Fan Central, a three day, interactive event featuring celebrity appearances, sponsor activations and fan interactive activities, as well as AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!; a multi-day concert series featuring a variety of music genres each day, Brock was among a small group of athletic administrators selected to join CFP staff, lending her 15 years of intercollegiate athletics experience to the team. In five short years, the events became fan favorites and drew over 100,000 attendees annually due to her leadership and creativity.
Prior to joining to the College Football Playoff staff, Brock served as the Director of Events and Team Operations at the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC), the host organization for the Capital One Orange Bowl, where she oversaw a staff that managed the operations and logistics for the teams participating in the Orange Bowl and BCS National Championship Games. Additionally, she was responsible for the planning, management and execution of the OBC's festival and community outreach events. During her time at the Orange Bowl Committee, Brock created the student-athlete gift suite, which is now a standard practice among bowl games and NCAA championship events.
In 2011, Brock was recognized by her peers as a nominee for Biz Bash Events Magazine's Corporate Event Planner of the Year. Due to her unique blend of experiences in events and team operations, she is often called upon to speak at events industry conferences, sponsor summits, football operations conferences and institutions' women's football clinics. She also holds memberships with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Meeting Planners International (MPI) and Women in Sports and Events (WISE). She is an avid volunteer participating in youth mentoring programs and community projects through her membership in various service organizations.
Brock, a Washington, Pa., native, was a member of the 1997 United States Jr. National Track and Field team and competed in the Jr. Pan-American Games in Havana, Cuba. She was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 for her athletic achievements in track and field. Brock received a Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University, as well as a Master's degree from the same university. While at Penn State, she was a four-year letter winner and a captain of the women's track and field team.
"I am honored to take on such an incredible opportunity in leading this new partnership into a new phase of collaboration and success. This is a homecoming of sorts personally, after professionally having the fortune to travel the country with collegiate football," Brock explained. "The University of Pittsburgh athletic department and JMI Sports both strive to build a culture of excellence and a brand worthy of support. I look forward to cultivating the tremendous existing partnerships while also growing our presence and impact."
The complete Pitt Sports Marketing by JMI Sports team is composed of Dan Ninemire (Sr. Account Executive, New Partnerships), Sean Siebenkittel (Sr. Account Executive, Key Partnerships), Mark Berger (Director of New Partnerships) and Rachel Cohen (Specialist, Key Partnerships).
Ninemire joins Pitt Sports Marketing after serving two stints as an assistant baseball coach here at the University of Pittsburgh in 2018-2019 and from 2001-2005. Prior to his return to Pitt, Ninemire performed the role of CEO for All American Baseball. While at All American Baseball, he oversaw the day-to-day operations as well as the build out and dedication of UPMC All American Park. He was also the co-founder of Atlantic Coast Baseball. Atlantic Coast Baseball provides tournament and league opportunities in the youth baseball space on the East Coast. Atlantic Coast Baseball is most noted for the New Era Cap Classic events as well as their Louisville Slugger Wood Bat World Series. Ninemire was instrumental in the growth and development of those events.
Siebenkittel joined the Pitt Sports Marketing Team and JMI Sports in July 2019 after coming over from the previous Pitt Multimedia Rights Team, which he joined in April of 2018. Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Siebenkittel spent two years with IMG College with the Cincinnati Bearcats Sports Marketing Team. He also spent five years in Columbus, Ohio with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, where he started out in Ticketing and was promoted to the Corporate Partnerships Team after two seasons.
Berger was engaged in senior leadership roles managing business development and marketing in several verticals such as sports & entertainment, facility management and mobile marketing prior to joining JMI Sports and Pitt Sports Marketing in July. He has directed sales and operations teams on the nuances of business development and client retention at several career stops and has provided his expertise to the Pittsburgh Pirates, SMG-managed sports & entertainment facilities in multiple markets and WQAM Sports Radio in Miami. His client-first approach to solution sales has benefited hundreds of firms throughout his career including Walgreens, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Disney, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Chevrolet, Carnival Cruise Lines, TruGreen ChemLawn, Terminix and ServiceMaster.
Cohen joined the JMI Sports team in June 2019 and assists primarily with the management of Key Partnership accounts through organizing and executing sponsorship activations and fulfilling assets. Prior to joining the team, she spent two years working for the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, where her primary responsibilities involved assisting the development team with managing the North Shore Riverfront Park, including preparing and executing agreements for special events and maintenance projects, and coordinating with local stakeholders. Cohen has previously worked in media relations within the athletic departments at Robert Morris, Florida, and Loyola [La.], and held game day media relations positions with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Orleans Pelicans.
About JMI Sports
JMI Sports is a full-service collegiate marketing firm providing the highest quality management of athletics multimedia rights. By breaking new ground in the creation of the Total Campus Marketing program, JMI Sports maximizes the economic potential of universities. JMI Sports is also a highly regarded project manager for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. In addition to the University of Pittsburgh, JMI Sports works with an impressive list of signature partnerships including Clemson University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Georgia (with IMG College), the University of Notre Dame (with Legends), the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University (with IMG College) and the Ivy League. JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. For more information please visit www.jmisports.com.
About Pitt Athletics
The University of Pittsburgh's intercollegiate athletics history dates back to 1869, when the university began to field a baseball team. Today, Pitt sponsors 19 varsity sports—nine men's teams and 10 women's programs—with more than 475 student-athletes vying for conference, regional and national honors. All varsity sports teams compete as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with the exception of gymnastics, which competes in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL). The Panthers' rich athletics history includes national championships in football (nine) and basketball (two). Pitt also boasts Olympic gold-medal performances in track, and silver and bronze medals in diving and basketball.
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