MEET THE BUCKEYE CLUB STAFF – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
MEET THE BUCKEYE CLUB STAFF
The Buckeye Club is proud to present the Athletic Development Staff.
Take a moment to learn more about us.
| Tom Hof | Associate AD for Development |
| Dennis Hoobler | Assistant AD for Development |
| Sue Frost | Director of the Athletic Campaigns |
| Patrick Chun | Director of Development |
| Kate Riffee | Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship |
| Michele Newman | Director of Gift Management |
| Alexis Maddox | Director of Buckeye Club |
| Lori Edsinger | Athletics Gift Coordinator |
| Tami Smith | Office Associate/Gift Processing |
| Amy Dingess | Administrative Associate |
| TOM HOF
Tom Hof has been a member of the Ohio State Department of Athletics since October of 1994. He was promoted to associate athletics director for development, marketing and club services in the spring of 2000. His responsibilities include all athletics department fund raising activities, marketing and promotions, and premium seating programs. Funding priorities for Hof and his staff include the Woody Hayes Athletic Center renovation and enhancement project, the proposed Indoor Tennis Center, a boathouse for the Women’s Crew team, a softball stadium renovation, the 1888 Society endowed scholarship program, and the continued funding of the annual athletic grant-in-aid program. Hof is also responsible for the Department’s marketing and promotional efforts including all sponsorship partnerships, individual sports promotions, and signage packages. He also oversees the Club Services staff responsible for football club seats, personal seat licenses, hospitality suites and the ongoing preferred seating customer services in the Jerome Schottenstein Center and Ohio Stadium. Hof also has administrative oversight for the sport of Baseball. After receiving his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University in 1980 and 1981, respectively, Hof began his career at the University of Kansas as Athletics Ticket Manager. Hof moved to development in 1983 as the Vice President for Annual Giving at the Illinois State University Foundation. In 1986, Hof moved to the University of Cincinnati’s College of Law as Director of Development and Alumni Affairs. In 1991, Hof came to Ohio State as Director of Development for the College of Law. He served in that capacity until joining athletics. Hof is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Athletic Development Directors, the Gahanna School District Business Advisory Council, and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Tom and his wife, Gretchen, have three sons, Sam, Andy and Brett. |
| DENNIS HOOBLER
Dennis Hoobler has been a member of the Department of Athletics since April of 1985. He served as the department’s first marketing director. In 1991, he became Director of the Buckeye Club, the annual fund raising department of the Athletic Department. In 1998 he was elevated to Director of Athletic Development. He was named Assistant Athletic Director in May of 2001. Hoobler played an integral role in the recent success of the Athletic Department’s portion of the University’s Affirm Thy Friendship Campaign, which concluded in 2000. Over $90 million was raised in support of athletic projects, which included Bill Davis Baseball Stadium, The Jerome Schottenstein Center, The Jesse Owens Track Stadium, The Younkin Success, the renovation of Ohio Stadium and the One on One Endowed Scholarship program. Besides his major fund raising duties, he also oversees the operation of the Buckeye Club, the department’s courtesy car program and is involved with other special projects such as the Buckeye Pro Am Golf Outing and coordinating special events for the athletic department through out the country. Hoobler is a native of Dellroy, Ohio and a graduate of Carrollton High School. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Ohio State and went on to earn a master’s in Sports Administration while working at an intern in the Department of Athletics. He also served as a member of the US Army reserves from 1972-79. In 1983 he earned a Masters in Business Administration degree at Ohio State. He began his athletic career in 1979 by serving as Associate Athletic Director at Furman University, Greenville, S.C.. Denny and his wife, Nancy, have two children, Angie, a 1999 Ohio State graduate, and Andrew, a student at Ohio State. |
| SUE FROST
–>Sue Frost joined The Ohio State University Department of Athletics in October 2005 as Director of the Athletic Campaigns. She manages the athletics department’s major gift and capital campaign programs. Current facilities fund-raising projects include the Woody Hayes Athletic Center enhancement, the rowing team’s boathouse, an indoor tennis facility and a softball stadium. She is also the department’s liaison with the University Development campaign planning team. A varsity member and co-captain of the Tufts University cross-country, indoor, and outdoor track teams, Frost earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1993. She then attended Bowling Green State University where, in 1995, she completed her Master’s degree. Frost then began her career at Ashland University and spent three year at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law as the Associate Director of Development. In 200, Frost joined OSU as director of development for the Knowlton School of Architecture where she led their $20 million campaign which supported a new building for the School and endowments. A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, Frost resides in Columbus. |
| PATRICK CHUN
Patrick Chun is entering his sixth year with the Department of Athletics and has been the director of the Buckeye Club since January 2002. He is responsible for managing the department’s annual fund, which directly supports the Ohio State student athletes by providing athletic scholarships and grant-in-aid. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University in 1997, Patrick immediately began working for his alma mater in the Athletics Communications Office. He spent four years as an assistant director dealing primarily with the public and media relations for the OSU baseball and football teams. Several of Patrick’s publications earned national acclaim. In 1998, the OSU Football Game Program was named “Best in the Nation” by both the College Sports Information Directors of America and the College Football Writers Association. A native of Strongsville, Ohio, Patrick and his wife Natalie currently reside in Columbus. |
| KATE RIFFEE
Kate Riffee joined the Athletic Development Department staff in June 2005 as the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship. She is responsible for the Athletics Scholarship Endowment Program, as well as gift acknowledgement and donor communication. Kate received a BS in physical education from Ithaca College in 1980, an MA in sports management from OSU in 1981 and a Ph.D. from Ohio State’s counselor program in 1990. During her twenty-five years with the university, she served as an Athletic Counselor, Life Skills Coordinator and Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Support Services. For eleven years as Associate Athletic Director for SASSO, Kate directed Ohio State’s CHAMPS Program, which services OSU’s 36 varsity sports. She was also extremely active nationally, serving on the NCAA’s Life Skills Advisory Committee, the training team for the NCAA Foundation Student-Athlete Leadership Conference, a consultant to the Franklin Covey organization in the development of their student-athlete leadership program and the Division 1-A Athletic Directors Association’s CHAMPS Life Skills Advisory Team. Kate, a Buffalo, NY native, resides in Worthington. Her husband, Mike, is a middle school teacher and coach. Her daughter Megan (18) is a freshman at OSU, and son Patrick (14) is a freshman at Worthington Kilbourne High School. |
| MICHELE NEWMAN
Michele Palte Newman has been a member of the Ohio State Department of Athletics since May 1997, serving as Director of Donor and Gift Management. Her responsibilities include managing all phases of gift processing for the department of athletics to ensure compliance with IRS regulations, and assisting in the coordination of budget responsibilities of the Buckeye Club and Athletic Development. Michele received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Ohio State in 1990 and 1996, respectively. During this time period Michele also served in various administrative posts with University Development. Michele, her husband Jeff and son Stephen reside in Dublin, Ohio. |
| ALEXIS MADDOX
Alexis Maddox took on the role of Director of the Buckeye Club in November 2005. She will oversee and coordinate the activities involved with the Athletic Development Department’s annual giving program. She is responsible for the annual membership drive, the student-athlete thank-a-thon and the Buckeye Club Reception. Alexis received a B.A. in Journalism from The Ohio State University in June 2005 after working in the Athletic Development Department as a student-employee for three years. During her four years of undergraduate work, she was very involved with the university, serving as a peer mentor, member of the Office of Minority Affairs Mentoring Program and recruiter for OSU’s Admissions and OMA offices. Additionally, she was a sports intern at WBNS-10TV for a year, where she was on-air for nine months, reporting Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns games, as well as Ohio State athletics. A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, Alexis resides in Columbus. |
| LORI EDSINGER
–> Lori Edsinger is currently in her second stint as a member of the Ohio State Department of Athletics. She originally worked for the Athletics Development office from 1985-1990 and then left to become a full-time homemaker and raise her three children. In 2001, she returned to the development office as a gift coordinator/office associate. She is responsible for maintaining the records and donation history for each of the Buckeye Club donors and assisting in the donor relation aspects of the Buckeye Club. She also assists with coordination of special events and projects. Lori originally came to OSU in 1984 as an account clerk at the Research Foundation. Away from work, Lori teaches water aerobics and is a certified lifeguard at the YMCA North Branch. She enjoys reading, coaching volleyball, swimming, camping and stays extremely busy with the activities of her children. Lori and her husband Roger reside in Columbus and have three children – Danielle, Eric and Jacob.
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| TAMI SMITH
–> Tami Smith has been with The Ohio State University for over 20 years in a variety of roles. In March 2002, she became a member of the Department of Athletics staff. Tami is responsible for maintaining the records and donation history for each of the Buckeye Club donors and assisting in the donor relation aspects of the Buckeye Club. She also assists with coordination of special events and projects. Tami brings a diverse background to the OSU Athletics Department. She spent time working as an admitting representative at the JamesCare facility and sepnt eight years as an administrative associate in Physical Facilities Department. Tami also has spent time in the Department of Public Safety, Fawcett Center and Traffic and Parking Services. Tami, her husband Steve and two children currently reside in Ostrander, Ohio.
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| AMY DINGESS
–>Amy Dingess has been a member of The Ohio State University for six years and with the department of athletics since July 2002. She is currently serving as the administrative associate for the associate athletics director for development. Amy’s duties include providing administrative support for the development office as well as front-line donor relations and customer service. She plans and coordinates daily office functions, mass mailings, special events and travel arrangements. Amy oversees, schedules and manages student staff. Prior to her appointment in athletics, Amy worked in the OSU Office of Development for six years in the areas of leadership gifts and planned giving. Amy, her husband Scott and sons Cory and Tyler reside in Grove City.
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The Buckeye Club
Room 215 St. John Arena
410 Woody Hayes Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Phone: (614) 292-9908
