Horizon League Names Shawn Sullivan Associate Commissioner
INDIANAPOLIS (November 1, 2023) – Following a number of key personnel elevations and staff additions in October, Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach rounded out her staff with the announcement of industry veteran Shawn Sullivan joining the League office as Associate Commissioner for Branding, Messaging and Strategic Initiatives effective November 3
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Why This Matters: Sullivan brings more than 20 years of dynamic college athletics experience at all levels to enhance and spearhead the League’s messaging, branding, marketing, communications, public relations, licensing and innovation efforts centered around the recently-launched brand recharge.
Major Voice: Commissioner Julie Roe Lach
Shawn is an outstanding addition to our strong team. His campus experience will bolster our efforts to support the important work our members do every day providing life-changing opportunities for our 3000+ student-athletes. Shawn’s background in marketing and his deep relationships with media will also amplify our exciting brand recharge across our League’s major city footprint.
Personnel File: Sullivan comes to #OurHorizon with on-campus experience and results across the college athletics landscape, higher education instruction and entrepreneurship focused on voice work and sports business consulting.
- Completed nearly nine years at Ball State University progressing to Deputy Director of Athletics for Marketing and Strategic Initiatives with oversight of marketing, ticketing, communications and licensing while serving as sport administrator for women’s cross country, women’s indoor/outdoor track & field, women’s golf and men’s basketball.
- From 2011-13, served as Director of Marketing and Sales in athletics at Northwestern University with a focus on men’s basketball.
- Prior to Northwestern, spent parts of seven years in two different stints at UIC in sports information, marketing and game operations eventually elevating to Assistant Athletics Director.
- From 2003-05, worked in the Arena Football League for the Chicago Rush as Community Relations Manager.
- Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University since 2021; adjunct faculty member at Roosevelt University since 2010.
- Founder of The Voice for Good, LLC, which serves as an umbrella organization for voice work and consulting while supporting mental health awareness. Sullivan performs public address announcing duties for the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever and Indy Eleven in addition to a host of other regional and national events. Consulting clients have included Drake University, QuizWizards, Horizon League and SKINS Compression.
Life in the League: The Kankakee, Illinois native graduated from UIC in 2001 with a degree in Communications. Sullivan competed in the Horizon League, then known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, as a distance runner in cross country and track & field. A captain for UIC, he served on the MCC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Family ties: Sullivan resides in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood of Indianapolis with his wife, Molly (Senior Woman Administrator/Associate Athletic Director at Butler University; former Horizon League intern), along with their children, Liam, Quinn, Mary Kate and James.