Maddie McConnell Named McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative Messaging Fellow
Rachel White
INDIANAPOLIS (October 25, 2022) – Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach has announced the hiring of Maddie McConnell as Messaging Fellow through a partnership with the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative. McConnell began her tenure with the Horizon League in September.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Maddie to our League office team as our first-ever McLendon Fellow,” said Roe Lach. “She brings a vast array of experience in multiple areas with her and has already established herself as a leader in the Indianapolis community with her involvement as a co-founder of the women’s division of the City League, the College Football Playoff, Downtown Indy and other community groups. We are elated to partner with the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative to provide this opportunity for Maddie. With her extensive marketing and event experience, she has already made an impact in our League.”
McConnell’s new role was created through the
McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative (MLI), whose stated goal is to provide minorities a jump-start to their careers through practical experiences, opportunities to build their network, and instilling the values of John McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership, and Mentorship. The Horizon League is just one of two Division I athletic conferences with an MLI fellow during the 2022-23 year.
“I am extremely grateful to have crossed paths with the Horizon League once again, and to be rewarded with this opportunity. The HL staff has been nothing but welcoming and has given me the freedom to learn and immerse myself in an experience that will allow me to reach my fullest potential as a professional. The McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative was unfamiliar territory for me, but as it has now been over a month since my time has started here, I now know that MLI is an avenue that deserves immense recognition,” said McConnell. “It’s opportunities like these where I hope to leave my mark. Whether it be with one individual or the entire HL staff, I want my time here to be meaningful and memorable. I would like to thank everyone who played a part in getting me to this point, especially Julie for calling me in late August one afternoon. Little did I know, that one phone call would be the start to the next chapter of my young professional career.”
As part of the MLI initiative, McConnell had the opportunity to attend a Leadership Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri and Lawrence, Kansas hosted by the University of Kansas in September. The weekend was filled with educational programming and networking opportunities with the other MLI participants and other industry leaders.
“The Leadership weekend was an experience that I couldn’t have laid out any better. Having the opportunity to connect with individuals who I may have never met otherwise was a blessing in itself, every person from sports icons like Maria Taylor and Bill Self, to my, now lifelong friends within the McLendon family,” added McConnell. “Yet, knowing that I was in the room with the future of the world of sports, made me aware that none of this was an accident. I am supposed to be here.”
In the role, McConnell will be a key member of the League’s messaging team, serving as the primary contact for specific sports while assisting with marketing and championship administration. McConnell will also serve as a staff liaison to the #OneHL group.
McConnell graduated from IUPUI with her Masters of Science in Sports Event Tourism in August of this year after earning her Bachelor of Science from the university in May 2021.
A South Bend, Indiana native, McConnell comes to the Horizon League after serving as an Event Execution Associate with Downtown Indy, Inc. and also currently serves as a board member for the City League, where she co-created the Women’s League.
McConnell’s previous experience also includes serving on the 2022 College Football Playoff – Indianapolis Host Committee, working as a Women’s Basketball Extern at the NCAA and assisting with game day operations at IUPUI.