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Curtis Meyer reporter
Pitt State has announced a new hire this past week, with current Sports Director at KOAM Jacob Lenard having gotten the job of associate Athletic Director of Fan Engagement. Lenard will start his new position in June.
“…coordinate and manage all aspects of overall athletics program promotion and outreach through digital media, broadcasting, and other components of the game day experience for fans. Lenard also will serve as oversight administrator for the MIAA Digital Network. Jacob will manage and oversee all promotional aspects of football and basketball game day activities by serving as the “game producer” for video production, public address, and other promotional activities, while also developing and administering marketing and promotional plans for all sports and sports seasons, including season ticket campaigns and other promotional initiatives,’ as stated by the PSU Athletics Website.
Talking to Lenard, he had a much simpler way to put it.
“Bottom line of the job, the way I view it, is to make people, give people a reason to come out to our games and support our student athletes. Then when they come out to make it a cool experience to where they want to keep coming back,” said Lenard.
Many people in the Pittsburg community will be familiar with Lenard’s name, as he graduated from Pitt State and lives inside of Pittsburg. He also works in the Pittsburg area, as his broadcasting duties extend to the counties surrounding the town.
“I came to Pittsburg State in 2009 and graduated in December 2012. I got my bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in coaching when I graduated. Kind of started working part time at the tv station a few months after I graduated, and just worked my way up there until I became Sports Director in June of 2015 and I’ve been doing that ever since,” said Lenard.
Lenard will also be a primary liaison to Peak Sports Management, Pitt State’s third-party corporate sponsor sales group. He will work with General Manager Marissa Poppe on the activation of all corporate agreements and inventory. He will also work with third parties on the program’s overall social media presence and any other digital media content for all media platforms.
For Lenard, this came full circle, from learning all his skills from Pitt State and staying in the community as he reported on Pitt State and local high schools. He says his primary motivation for making the move to Pitt State, however, was his family.
“There’s a couple reasons, but the main reason is, it’s very much a family decision. Working in the job I do now, I’m on the road a lot in the evening, gone on holidays, gone on weekends. We have a seven-year-old son, and he’s starting to get into sports and other activities, and there are times where I can’t be there. So this job at Pittsburg State will give me the best of both worlds, where I can stay promoting, and being around student athletes and cover sports. Things that I love, while at the same time getting to be there for my son and family when I need to be,” said Lenard.
Lenard has won multiple broadcasting awards throughout his career at KOAM, and will bring plenty of experience to Pittsburg, while also already understanding the culture of Pitt State as a local.
“I loved my time at Pitt State, and that’s really why I’m taking this job and why I stayed in the area for as long as I have. I felt like Pitt State was really a place where I really grew up, where I became an adult, and it’s where I learned how to take care of myself and live in the real world. I feel like the people at Pittsburg State helped me do that,” said Lenard.
