SPORTS PR SUMMIT & NEWHOUSE SPORTS MEDIA CENTER AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCE 2022 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
April 19, 2022
New York City, NY (April 19, 2022) – The Sports PR Summit (@SportsPRSummit) and Newhouse Sports Media Center at Syracuse University (@NewhouseSports) today announced the recipients of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement awards.
Longtime ESPN executive Rosa Gatti and longtime NIKE executive and communications counselor Vada O. Manager are the two recipients of the inaugural Sports PR Summit Lifetime Achievement Awards presented by the Newhouse Sports Media Center.
“Rosa and Vada have had careers filled with excellence and I am pleased that we can honor their tremendous contributions to the sports PR industry with these inaugural Lifetime Achievement awards,” said Brian Berger, Founder of the Sports PR Summit. “Most people who work in PR work behind the scenes, but I am happy that we get to partner with the Newhouse Sports Media Center at Syracuse University, to shine the spotlight on Rosa and Vada.”
Manager and Gatti will receive this Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports PR Summit’s upcoming in-person event in New York City on May 17 at Canoe Studios.
“We are honored to be a part of recognizing Rosa and Vada for their pioneering excellence in the field of sports public relations,” said Olivia Stomski, Director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center at Syracuse University. “This inaugural honor of Lifetime Achievement given by the Sports PR Summit provides a tremendous learning opportunity for all of our Newhouse students that career success is the result of carving your own pathways, through immense hard work, even when a door may not be opened.”
A trailblazer to women in athletics, Gatti was one of ESPN’s first female executives in addition to being the first female sports information director at a program with Division I-A football.
At the time of her retirement from ESPN, Gatti held the title of Senior Vice President of Communications Counsel and Corporate Outreach. She was responsible for overseeing ESPN’s corporate outreach initiatives, including The V Foundation for Cancer Research, corporate giving, cause-marketing and volunteerism.
Manager is a well-respected professional in the sports industry and a trailblazer for people of color, focusing on issues management and reputation, amongst other specialty areas. As a key driver of NIKE’s focus on corporate social responsibility from 1997 to 2009, Manager’s efforts positioned NIKE as a global leader in brand and crisis communications.
Most recently, Manager has served as founder and CEO of Manager Global Consulting Group. Previously, Manager served as Vice President at Powell Tate where he worked with clients such as the PGA TOUR, Major League Baseball and Court TV, and as senior manager of global communications for Levi Strauss and Co. He also serves as a corporate director for Valvoline Inc. (NYSE — VVV).
The Lifetime Achievement Award is the first of several awards that the Newhouse Sports Media Center and the Sports PR Summit will present over upcoming years. Future award categories focused on innovation, diversity, and convergence within the sports industry will be announced during the 2022 Sports PR Summit on May 17.
ABOUT SPORTS PR SUMMIT
Launched in 2013, the Sports PR Summit is an invite-only event that brings together senior PR executives from the pro and collegiate sports ranks as well as from top sports corporations for panel discussions and valuable face to face networking opportunities.
Prominent media members and athletes share candid insights about the best ways for PR executives to work most effectively with them. The event allows for all attendees to leave with a better understanding of the evolving communications issues and challenges in the sports industry. Learn more about the Sports PR Summit at www.sportsprsummit.com. Follow Sports PR Summit on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT NEWHOUSE SPORTS MEDIA CENTER
Syracuse University and the Newhouse School are renowned for turning out talented and successful sports professionals in all media. The Newhouse Sports Media Center builds on that reputation, connecting alumni, faculty and current students through their sports journalism skills and passion for the profession. The center provides oversight for the school’s Sports Media and Communications Emphasis, a specialized track for graduate and undergraduate students, collaborates with on-campus sports media and strengthens academic-industry partnerships through special events, guest lectures and an advisory board of professionals in sports media. Associated faculty members serve as experts on issues in the field. Veteran television sports producer and professor of practice Olivia Stomski ’01 is the Center’s director. Follow the Newhouse Sports Media Center on Twitter at @NewhouseSports.