Missouri Valley Conference Staff
Doug Elgin, Commissioner
Doug Elgin enters his 21st year with the Missouri Valley Conference leading an experienced staff that has blazed a trail of excellence over the past two decades for the second-oldest conference in NCAA Division I athletics.
Since being named the Valley’s ninth commissioner on May 17, 1988, Elgin has been a catalyst in helping the St. Louis-based conference regain a position of prominence in college athletics.
A solid work ethic and a bold, innovative approach to marketing and administering the Valley’s various sports programs and properties have been the keys to success for the league during his tenure as commissioner.
The MVC celebrated its Centennial year in 2006-07, and Elgin and his staff can reflect upon a remarkable list of accomplishments and contributions they have made over the past two decades that have added to the long, rich athletic tradition of the conference.
Elgin and his staff oversaw the realignment and the stabilization of the Missouri Valley membership during the decade of the ‘90s as the league expanded to admit Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Evansville as new members, and also brought women’s sports programs under the conference’s administrative umbrella in July of 1992.
The league staff also paved the way to establish St. Louis as a long-term neutral site for the men’s basketball tournament beginning in 1991, one of the most significant developments in the modern era of the Valley. In 2009, the State Farm MVC Tournament will celebrate its 19th year in St. Louis, the second-longest continuous run at a neutral site for any NCAA Division I men’s conference basketball championship.
The tremendous success in creating a showcase for the men’s basketball tournament has led to other successful endeavors for the MVC and the City of St. Louis. In 1993, the Valley hosted its first NCAA Tournament – a men’s regional -- at venerable St. Louis Arena. During the period from 1998 through 2007, the MVC and its local partners hosted a remarkable seven more NCAA events, including four men’s regionals, the 2001 Women’s Final Four and the 2005 Men’s Final Four. The Valley will also serve as host for the 2009 Women’s Final Four and the 2010 Men’s Midwest Regional, helping to make St. Louis one of the most frequent stops in the nation for NCAA basketball tournament events.
Elgin completed a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in 2002 and was the first Valley representative ever to serve as a member of that prestigious group.
In his career spanning more than 30 years in intercollegiate athletic administration, Elgin has served in a variety of capacities at four schools and in two conference offices. His career path included stints as sports information director at Frostburg State University (1975-76), Miami-Dade Community College South (1976-77), Lafayette College (1977-80) and the University of Virginia (1980-83). In 1983, he left Virginia to begin a long stint in conference work, moving to Tampa to serve under the college basketball Hall of Famer Vic Bubas on the Sun Belt Conference staff.
The 57-year-old native of Hagerstown, Md., is a 1973 graduate of Lafayette College. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1975. Doug and his wife Melaine have six daughters: Lisa, Jessica, Julie, Anna, Emma and Mary.
Patty Viverito, Senior Associate Commissioner
Patty Viverito is in her 17th season as senior associate commissioner at the Missouri Valley Conference. She is also in her 24th year directing the Missouri Valley Football Conference as its commissioner.
A Chicago native, Viverito was named the Missouri Valley Football’s first commissioner in September of 1982. She led the conference (then known as the Gateway Conference) to national prominence in the 1980s. The league, which sponsored nine women’s sports and FCS football, saw its women’s programs merge with their MVC men’s counterparts in 1992.
At The Valley, Viverito’s responsibilities include championship administration and compliance, serving as the primary coaches liaison for most sports. She served as the Tournament Director of the 2001 NCAA Women’s Final Four and will serve as the Tournament Director for the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
A nationally respected administrator, Viverito has served on the prestigious NCAA Executive Committee, the NCAA Council, the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and was chair of the NCAA Committee for Women’s Athletics. Viverito has also served as a member of the CCA Executive Committee and Chair of the Division I-AA Subcommittee of CCA, the NCAA Recruiting Task Force, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Issues Committee, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Board, and the NCAA Work/Life Balance Task Force. She currently serves as chair of the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee and serves on the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Board, which is responsible for selecting the Honda-Broderick Cup winner annually, the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Board, and the NCAA Football Academic Working Group.
In 1996, Viverito was recognized for her contributions to collegiate athletics, when she was selected as the NACWAA (National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators) Administrator of the Year. In addition, she received the Professional Service Achievement Alumni Award from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
She has an extensive background in athletic marketing and administration, formerly serving as an account executive for the Tidewater Tides minor league baseball team and as special project director at the University of Texas at Austin from 1979 to 1981. At UT, she coordinated activities for the women’s athletic program in the areas of promotion, sports information, fund-raising and event management.
Viverito earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois and her master’s in sports management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 1994, she received the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award from Massachusetts.
Married to Frank Viverito, President and Executive Director of the St. Louis Sports Commission, they have two sons: Gregory and Matthew.
Joe Mitch, Associate Commissioner
Joe Mitch is in his 24th year with The Valley, starting as assistant commissioner in 1985 when the league office relocated to St. Louis from Tulsa. He was promoted to associate commissioner in 1988.
Mitch oversees promotions, marketing, sponsorships and television advertising sales for the conference. He is credited with originating the idea of a Hall of Fame for the conference and fostering a change in the conference logo to reflect an emphasis on “The Valley.”
He directs a sponsorship and sales effort that generates over $1.5 million annually for the league. With the conference office overseeing an in-house television package since 1993, Mitch is responsible for selling the advertising that provides funding for the production of league games on FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and ESPNU.
Mitch is the primary administrator for the men’s basketball tournament that annually ranks in the top 10 nationally in attendance among NCAA Division I conferences. He also handles baseball for the conference, serving as tournament director, arranging league schedules and overseeing the assignment of umpires for conference games.
Mitch is a member of the Local Organizing Committee for NCAA basketball tournaments in St. Louis and participated in a presentation to the NCAA that led to St. Louis being awarded the 2005 NCAA Final Four where he served as chair of the games management committee for the St. Louis LOC. Overall, Mitch has been involved in various capacities in 33 straight NCAA Final Fours.
Mitch will serve as tournament manager of the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional in St. Louis. He has been tournament manager of six other NCAA tournaments (the 1993, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2007 regionals and the 2002 first/second rounds), was local media coordinator for the 1978 NCAA Final Four in St. Louis and three NCAA regionals (1975, 1979 and 1982) and has worked numerous other NCAA basketball tournaments as a media relations specialist.
Mitch was publicist for the 1983 Davis Cup tennis quarterfinals in St. Louis and the 1977 Intercontinental Cup basketball series for the U. S. squad that played games against national teams in Italy, Greece, Belgium, Israel, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. He was selected to serve as a media relations officer at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1994 U. S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis.
Mitch’s professional career spans 40 years, most of which has been in intercollegiate athletics. He was assistant commissioner with the Metro Conference from 1976 to 1983 and has held sports information positions at four institutions: Illinois-Chicago (1968-70), Southern Illinois (1970-73), Dayton (1973-75) and St. Louis (1975-76). He also served as communications manager for the St. Louis-based Sports Time Cable Network from 1983-85 and Southwestern Bell Publications (1985).
A 1968 graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Mitch also serves as executive director of the 800-member U. S. Basketball Writers Association. He’s held that position since 1983. Mitch has participated in church missionary trips to Africa, Costa Rica and Mexico with his wife Sue, an ordained Methodist minister. They have two adult children: Jeff, a medical sales representative, and Stacey, director of business communications for the San Antonio Spurs.
Jack Watkins, Associate Commissioner for Marketing/TV
Jack R. Watkins is in his 17th season at the Missouri Valley Conference, and his sixth as Associate Commissioner for Marketing and Television. Previously, Watkins had served as the league’s public information and media services director for 11 years.
In his marketing capacity, Watkins, 45, oversees sponsorship fulfillment and coordinates in-season conference promotions, including implementation of point-of-sale retail promotions and consumer participation programs. He also develops promotions for league championships and assists with the coordination of the Conference’s community outreach programs, including the State Farm Just Read! Program.
As the staff’s contact for television, Watkins oversees production, hiring on-air talent and clearances and assists with advertising sales for The Valley Television Network on FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet and ESPN.
During his tenure at The Valley, he has been a media coordinator for the 1993, 1998 and 1999 NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Midwest Regionals and 2002 NCAA First/Second Rounds in St. Louis, and served as a television time-out coordinator 11 times for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Championships.
As men’s basketball publicity contact, his 1997, 2000 and 2002 MVC hoops guides were voted “Best in the Nation” by the College Sports Information Directors of America conference publications committee, and the 2001 and 2003 MVC yearbooks earned “Best in the Nation” for their cover design.
A native of Sikeston, Mo., Watkins became the 14th recipient of the Katha Quinn Award -- presented for service to sportswriters who cover college basketball -- from the 800-member United States Basketball Writers Association in 2003.
A 1985 University of Missouri-Columbia journalism graduate, Watkins was assistant sports information director at Kansas State University during the 1986-87 school year and at Missouri from 1988 to 1992, prior to joining The Valley staff.
A member of CoSIDA and the USBWA, Watkins and his wife Genny live in Creve Coeur, Mo.
Mike Kern, Associate Commissioner for Communications
Mike Kern is in his 17th season at the Missouri Valley, and was promoted to Associate Commissioner for Communications in July 2003. In a dual role, Kern serves as Associate Commissioner for the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and has been with the Missouri Valley Football Conference since 1991.
For The Valley, he helps oversee all media relations for the 18-sport league, and his primary responsibility is men’s basketball. He was Media Coordinator for the 2001 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 2004 NCAA Men’s Regional, and the 2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and will hold that role for the 2009 Women’s Final Four. He was assistant tournament manager for the 2008 First and Second Round Men’s Basketball Tournament in Omaha. He has also served as timeout coordinator for two NCAA women’s basketball regionals.
Kern oversees both leagues’ internet web pages and he has supervised Valley merchandise and team gift programs, which has included the development of an e-commerce solution. Kern also oversees the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s in-house television package, which includes scheduling and clearances, plus the hiring of on-air talent.
In 2002, he received the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual award for “Best Use of Technology in Sports” as he introduced the league’s on-line statistical reporting system used for the league’s Olympic sport programs.
Kern, 41, earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Missouri (magna cum laude) in 1988 and a master’s degree in communications management from league member Missouri State (summa cum laude) in 1990.
A St. Louis native, Kern served as a sports information graduate assistant for two years at MSU and as a student assistant at Missouri as an undergraduate.
His publications and features have earned numerous CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) awards. His 1998 women’s basketball guide, 2000 and 2002 football guides and 2005-06 men’s basketball guide were judged “Best in the Nation,” while his 1993, 2006 and 2007 Valley Football guides, the 1995 MVC softball guide, the 1998 women’s basketball guide, the 2000 women’s basketball guide and the 2004 men’s basketball guide earned Best in the Nation for their cover designs. His 1997, 1998 and 2006 Valley Football guides and the 2004 men’s basketball guide each placed third, while the 1999 football guide, 2005 men’s basketball guide, and 1990 MSU softball guide were second nationally. He has earned a total of 29 national top-5 awards for his publications work, including 11 “Best in the Nation” designations.
He is a member of CoSIDA, ConSIDA (Conference Sports Information Directors of America), the Football Writers Association of America, and the United States Basketball Writers Association. He and his wife Cindy live in St. Louis and have a daughter Megan and son Michael.
Jeremiah Ingram, Assistant Commissioner for Communications
Jeremiah Ingram is entering his third year at the Valley and second as Assistant Commissioner for Communications.
Ingram is the league’s primary contact for women’s basketball, men’s soccer, softball and swimming & diving, handling all publicity for those sports, which includes the production of print and online media guides, web site maintenance, and weekly releases.
As the conference’s coordinator of media services for women’s basketball, Ingram serves as the Media Coordinator for the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship and as Assistant Media Coordinator for the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Saint Louis. He assisted in the media efforts for the 2007 NCAA Men’s Regional and at the 2008 Women’s Final Four in Tampa.
In addition, Ingram provides assistance in managing the league’s internet web site and on-line statistical reporting system, assists with the league’s video streaming program, and will also serve as a staff administrator at a number of championships. He is responsible for the design of MVC championship homepages, online media guide templates and internal graphic design projects.
Prior to The Valley, the Indianapolis, Ind., native served as an intern in the Bradley University athletics department.
At Bradley, Ingram handled sports information duties for men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s cross country. He directed Bradley’s internet broadcasts, supervising a program that delivered audio and video streaming for BU’s web site. He also assisted with Bradley’s web site maintenance, which included on-line creation and publication of BU’s Olympic sport guides.
He is a member of CoSIDA and the United States Basketball Writers Association and, in 2007, was the first commercial radio voice of Bradley men’s soccer.
A 2004 graduate of Bradley, Ingram double majored in marketing and communications.
Mary Mulvenna, Asst. Commissioner for Compliance/Community Relations
Mary Mulvenna is in her fourth year with the Missouri Valley Conference, earning a promotion to Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Community Relations in the summer of 2007.
Her compliance duties (for both the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference) include monitoring and interpretation of NCAA and Conference rules utilizing the NCAA database, managing the NCAA legislative process, serving as the primary liaison to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and administering the National Letter of Intent program. She created the league’s compliance website.
In addition to compliance, Mulvenna’s community service responsibilities include coordination of the State Farm Just Read! Program and NCAA Yes Clinics for the Missouri Valley Conference. She also assists in the championship administration of selected sports at The Valley. Mulvenna worked in the Command Center in Boston, Mass., for the 2006 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
Mulvenna, a 2004 NACWAA/HERS graduate, is currently serving on the AEC cabinet for a second-straight year. In the summer of 2008, she was appointed to the prestigious Legislative Council.
She a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and came to the Missouri Valley Conference after spending two years at the Ivy League as a compliance assistant.
Mulvenna graduated from Temple in August 2001 with a degree in sport and recreation management, and she received her master’s degree in sport administration from Temple in May 2003. She was a student-athlete at Temple, earning Women’s Soccer Rookie of the Year honors in 1997.
She spent two years as a compliance intern at Temple before taking her post at the Ivy League and she has been active in coaching soccer.
Rich Steed, Chief Financial Officer
Now beginning his eighth year with Missouri Valley Conference, Rich Steed brings over 30 years of executive financial management experience to The Valley.
As CFO, Steed insures that appropriate financial controls are in place and applies sound techniques to all aspects of The Valley’s financial matters. He is responsible for developing creative and effective financial strategies to help The Valley achieve its conference goals and protect its assets. Additional responsibilities include human resource issues, purchasing of major assets, maintaining IT integrity and assisting with event-based duties. Steed is the point person for our ongoing Valley new headquarters project, serving as liaison with the Valley architect, contractors, financial institutions and other external contacts. As with the NCAA 2005 Men’s Final Four, he will serve as Treasurer of the local organizing committee (St. Louis Women’s Final Four, Inc.) for the NCAA 2009 Women’s Final Four to be held in St. Louis.
Prior to joining The Valley, Steed served as Business Manager of the Moolah Shrine Center for five years. From 1980 to 1995 he was the owner of R.J.C. & Company, a consulting services firm focusing on computer and software accounting solutions for its clientele.
A St. Louis native, Steed is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an accounting major and economics minor.
Lauren Eads, Director / Sports Administration
The 2008-09 season marks Lauren Eads’ second year with The Valley. Eads provides primary administrative support for the State Farm MVC Women’s Basketball Championship and the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four. She serves as the staff’s primary liaison for City Awareness programs in St. Louis and St. Charles and works closely with the MVC marketing staff to implement tournament marketing plans and corporate sponsorship sales and fulfillment. She also coordinates all community outreach programs in conjunction with the women’s basketball tournament.
Prior to joining the Valley staff, Eads served as Director of Championships and Special Events for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Eads was responsible for coordinating all MAAC Championships and Special Events, including NCAA Championships and MAAC Championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. She was also the chair of the conference’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee and represented the league at the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.
Eads came to the MAAC from the University of Arkansas, where she served as the graduate assistant for the volleyball team while earning her master’s degree in sport management. She received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Rutgers University, where she was four-time letter winner on the volleyball team and an academic All-American.
This summer she was married to Jason Eads, and they live in Kirkwood, Mo.
Jamie Jarrett, Director of Corporate Sales
Jamie Jarrett begins his second season with the Missouri Valley Conference, having spent three and a half years as one of the top sales executives with the St. Louis Cardinals.
With the MVC, Jarrett primarily handles basketball tournament corporate sponsorship sales, advertising sales for the Valley’s television network on FSN Midwest and Comcast SportsNet Chicago. In addition, he’ll assist the marketing staff with developmental promotions, billboards, commercials and conference literature.
A 2001 graduate of Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., Jarrett played an instrumental role in helping the St. Louis Cardinals reach unprecedented ticket sales in 2005 and 2007. He developed and implemented several programs while with the Cardinals, including “Career Day at Busch Stadium” and “Bring Your Favorite Player to School.”
Prior to his three-plus years with the Cardinals, Jarrett spent two years as a management trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Louisville and two seasons as a media relations assistant for the Louisville Redbirds Baseball Club.
Jarrett was a baseball player at the collegiate level and has Valley ties, as both parents graduated from Illinois State. A native of Effingham, Ill., and current resident of St. Louis, Mo., Jarrett serves on the board of the Special Education Foundation in St. Louis and the Central Illinois Down Syndrome Organization in Bloomington, Ill.
Kelli Briscoe, Assistant Director / Communications
A native of Warrensburg, Mo., Briscoe is in her first season at the MVC.
She spent the past year as an intern at the Western Athletic Conference in Englewood, Colo. At the WAC, Briscoe was the primary media contact for women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field. In addition to her media relations duties, Briscoe assisted in the overall development and implementation of marketing and promotional efforts for the nine-member conference.
Prior to her one season at the WAC, Briscoe spent one semester as an intern for the Mid-South Conference in Louisville, Ky., where she coordinated all aspects of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, men’s and women’s tennis tournaments, men’s and women’s track and field, and cheerleading championships. While earning a master’s degree from the University of Louisville (May 2007), she spent two years at Nelligan Sports Marketing in Louisville, Ky., assisting with various game-day operations and promotions for University of Louisville football and men’s basketball events.
At the Missouri Valley Conference office, Briscoe is the primary media relations contact for baseball, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s and women’s tennis. To that end, she handles all publicity for those sports, which will include the production of publications, web site maintenance, and weekly releases.
In addition, Briscoe provides assistance in managing the league’s internet web site and on-line statistical reporting system, will assist with the league’s videostreaming program, and will also serve as a staff administrator at a number of championships.
Terri Bright Heiges, Administrative Assistant
Originally hired as a part-time receptionist/administrative assistant for The Valley in January of 2007, Terri Bright Heiges has served in various capacities, and currently serves as an administrative assistant for the communications, compliance, marketing, operations, and sales staffs.
Bright Heiges has an extensive retail management background as a store manager and area manager. She has also researched, developed, and written award-winning training and study materials for the banking industry. In addition, Bright Heiges has also written educational information for a real estate distance learning company.
Bright Heiges completed her Liberal Arts education at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. She lives in Glendale with her two children: Hannah and Max.
Lori Brutton, Assistant to the CFO
Lori Brutton joined The Valley team in January 2008 and brings many years of bookkeeping experience including the last eight years in a non-profit setting. Primary responsibilities include full-charge bookkeeping duties (accounts payables, receivables and preliminary month end closing).
Prior to joining The Valley, Brutton was an accounting assistant with the St. Louis-based American Optometric Association where her responsibilities encompassed a wide range from accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, collections and travel. Aside from her day-to-day accounting tasks, she was instrumental before, during and after the annual conventions of The AOA assisting staff, members, volunteers and the general public with on-line and on-site registration. Prior to AOA, she performed bookkeeping duties also as an assistant to CFO Rich Steed while he was the Business Manager at the Moolah Shrine Center.
Before entering the non-profit sector, Brutton dedicated 17 years to corporate America working for a then major retailer headquartered in the St Louis region. During this period, she was involved in retail store organization, the corporate office and finally the distribution center.
Throughout her years in the workforce, Brutton persistently and steadily pursued her B.A. in Business Administration from Lindenwood University, graduating in May 2006. Born and raised in the St. Louis area, she currently resides in the St. Peters area.
Maxine Day, Executive Assistant
Maxine Day is in her 12th year as executive assistant for the Valley. Day came to the Valley with vast administrative, office management, and marketing experience. Day previously worked for Dow Chemical in St. Louis before transferring to the Los Angeles sales office. She has also held administrative positions for Ropak Corporation and Sealed Air Corporation. After returning to St. Louis, she accepted a position as Administrative Assistant for the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) where her duties included office management and game operations until the CBA league office relocated to Phoenix, AZ.
Day’s duties at the Valley include coordination of conference meetings, assisting with office management/administration, providing marketing assistance with The Valley sponsor hotel network, and working with the league’s annual basketball tournaments and NCAA events. In addition to her Valley duties, Day also serves as executive assistant to the Commissioner of the Missouri Valley Football Conference where she is responsible for meeting planning, event logistics, officials’ payroll, and accounting.
A graduate of Ford City (PA) High School, she continued her education at Hickey School of Business in St. Louis and Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA with concentrated studies in marketing. She has two daughters: Gloria and Ashleigh.
Carla Fight, Assistant to the Commissioner
Carla Fight became a full-time member of The Valley staff in January 2004, hired as Assistant to the Commissioner.
Fight joined The Valley family after 24 years in the airline/travel industry. She is no stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference as Fight had been a volunteer for the State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament for 13 years prior to taking over her current role in 2004.
Her career has kept her working mainly with St. Louis airlines. For two years preceding her appointment at The Valley, she was Manpower Coordinator for American Airlines’ Premium Services Department.
Before her move to American Airlines, Fight worked for Trans World Airlines for 22 years. At TWA, she was a manager for the Ambassadors Club network, a position that put her in daily contact with the airlines most valued customers.
At The Valley office, Fight provides daily administrative support for the conference commissioner as well as special projects. She also oversees travel for Valley staff, league officials and television talent.
Bobby Thomas, Operations Assistant
Bobby Thomas joined the Missouri Valley Conference staff as an operations intern in August of 2008. At The Valley, Thomas will assist the league’s Director of Operations with championships administration for select sports and will help oversee the league’s officiating website. He’ll also have a focus on the in-arena operations for the men’s and women’s basketball championships, including the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
Most recently, Thomas served as an athletics graduate assistant at SIUE. At SIUE he helped coordinate facility renovations and additions at the Vadalbene Center, while serving as a liaison with other departments on campus. He developed, communicated, and administered departmental policies and procedures and assisted in the schedule development for team practices, workouts, and camps.
Thomas is pursuing a Master’s degree in education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington.