GNAC Introduces Specialist Program

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.