Basic HTML Version
Page 11
Campus Review
July 16, 2012
Campus Review
July 16, 2012
Editor:
John Shiffert
Writers:
Erin Fender
Ciji Fox
Lauren Graves
Layout:
Lauren Graves
Photography: Erin Fender
Ciji Fox
Graphic Design: Lauren Graves
Gid Rowell Named Clayton State’s
Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations
by Lauren Graves, University Relations
The person in
charge
of
Homecoming at
Clayton
State
University is hav-
ing a homecoming
of his own. Gid
Rowell, Alumni
Director
at
Clayton
State
University, came
to Clayton State as
Sports Information Director in 2000. He
will return to the Clayton State
Department of Athletics in August, this
time as Assistant Athletic Director for
External Relations.
“I am so excited about the opportunity to
work in Athletics again; but, at the same
time, it is bitter-sweet, because I have
built many strong relationships with our
Alumni and have enjoyed working so
much with the External Relations team
and the Alumni Board of Directors,” says
Rowell. “However, my passion is for
Clayton State Athletics, and this position
will allow me to use the experience I have
gained as Alumni Director along with my
communications background and love for
sports.”
Rowell laid the groundwork for the
University’s first stand-alone Office of
Alumni Relations in 2006. Along with
implementing a communications plan for
the office, he also focused on fundraising,
friend-raising and planning alumni
events. Out of his one person office, he
organized the Annual Alumni Dinner,
oversaw Homecoming, arranged fundrais-
ing opportunities such as the University’s
Call-A-Thon, and developed relationships
with alumni through Monday Mixers and
many other social activities.
He plans to take the lessons learned in
advancement into his Athletics position by
strengthening the Department’s community
relations efforts and building relationships
with current student-athletes and alumni. He
will work closely with the Division of
External Relations to build positive relation-
ships for Athletics; and, in a role reminiscent
of his days as Sports Information Director,
Rowell will serve as the chief communica-
tions contact for Athletics.
“We are very excited to have Gid join us
and st¬rengthen the Department of
Athletics,” says Athletic Director Carl
McAloose. “I am very impressed with
Gid’s reputation as a tireless worker, a
person with an outstanding skill set, and
as an overall great person! I believe he will
be an outstanding fit for our department.”
True to his hard working nature – a nature
that earned him the highest staff honor,
the Alice Smith Staff Award, in 2010 –
Rowell already has big plans for Athletics.
“We need to tell the stories not only of our
student-athletes who scored the winning
point, received the most honors, and the
like; but we also need to tell stories of ath-
letes who have excelled off the playing
field and overcome challenges in reaching
their dream of obtaining a college
degree,” says Rowell. “We have so many
great stories to tell and dreams that have
truly become real. I look forward to shar-
ing our student-athlete success stories and
bringing back our alumni as mentors –
those are the kinds of things I want to do
in this job.”
Rowell, a resident of Atlanta, holds a B.A.
in Communications and an M.A.in Public
Administration from the University of
West Georgia. He is one semester away
from finishing his coursework for an
Ed.D. in Higher Education from the
University of Alabama.
Sports
Clayton State Adds Two to Women’s Cross Country
The Clayton State University women’s
cross country program got a boost with
the recent signing of two transfers for the
upcoming fall season. The duo will bol-
ster Clayton State chances at a run for the
Peach Belt Conference title, following the
program’s second-place finish in the 2011
championship meet.
The two newcomers are Racquel Valadez and
Kendra Wilson who both were teammates
last season at Oklahoma City University.
“Kendra and Racquel are going to give us
much needed depth that we have not had
in our program for a few years,” said
Laker head coach Mike Mead. “I believe
the change of scenery will benefit them
and our team this fall.”
Valadez, a sophomore from Colorado
Springs, Colo., competed in both cross
country and track at Oklahoma City this
past year. Last fall she ran a season-best
of 20:16 for 5K and was a solid Top 5 run-
ner for OCU. During track season,
Valadez ran a limited schedule with a best
of 5:17.73 in the 1500m run.
Heat Stress, cont’d. p. 10
Rowell