Dec. 1, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced the restructuring of its marketing department, including a pair of promotions and two new hires.
Ryan Chenault was recently named assistant athletic director of marketing while newly hired Shawn Sullivan is the director of marketing. The department also has added two new assistant directors of marketing with the hiring of Heather Van Hoegarden and the promotion of Joe Thuente.
"This expansion and restructuring of the marketing department allows us to properly market and promote all 19 of our varsity programs," said Mike Polisky, Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs. "I am excited about the team that has been pulled together and am confident that they will continue the growth of the Northwestern brand throughout the Chicago market."
Chenault joined the Northwestern University athletic department in February 2007 as an assistant director of marketing and was named associate director of marketing in 2009. In this role, the Ohio native was responsible for the marketing of all Northwestern sports programs (excluding football and men's basketball), which resulted in record-setting revenue and attendance numbers.
In 2010, Chenault was placed in charge of football marketing. That season, he managed the launch of "Chicago's Big Ten Team," a marketing and advertising campaign that resulted in the largest same-stadium attendance increase of all FBS football schools in the country. Chenault also was responsible for the branding and game operations at the Allstate Wrigleyville Classic, the game between Northwestern and Illinois at Wrigley Field on Nov. 20, 2010.
With the promotion, Chenault is now responsible for the day-to-day management of the department's marketing efforts. He continues to oversee marketing efforts for the football program and fulfillment of corporate sponsorships for Northwestern Athletics.
Chenault is a 2002 graduate of Ohio State University and earned a master's of education degree in sports administration from Xavier University in 2005. He lives in Evanston with his wife, Kristin, and son, Andrew.
Sullivan, hired in July of 2011, comes to Northwestern after having been with the University of Illinois-Chicago for four years as assistant athletic director, overseeing the marketing and gameday operations for all 18 of the Flames' programs. A 2001 graduate of UIC, Sullivan assisted in the communications office at UIC from 2001-03, eventually earning a promotion to assistant sports information director. Sullivan returned to his alma mater after having served as the community relations manager for the Chicago Rush arena football club from 2003-05.
As the director of marketing at Northwestern, Sullivan's primary focus is on the men's basketball program. Additionally, he serves as the advisor for the Northwestern student organization, the Wildside, and has a role in the fulfillment of corporate sponsorships. Sullivan lives in Chicago with his wife, Molly, and his two sons, Liam and Quinn.
Van Hoegarden, previously the director of operations for Northwestern's women's basketball program, was hired as an assistant director of marketing, with responsibilities for women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse and men's golf. She also serves in a support role on football and men's basketball gamedays. The Burr Ridge, Ill., native and University of Notre Dame graduate currently resides in Chicago with her husband, Anthony Obering.
Thuente was promoted to assistant director of marketing after serving as the marketing assistant at Northwestern for the past 18 months. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Thuente serves as the department's contact for the volleyball, wrestling, baseball, softball and women's golf programs. He also will serve in a support role on football and men's basketball gamedays. Thuente currently resides in Chicago.
With the current restructuring, the marketing department will retain a marketing assistant, whose duties will be to oversee marketing and gameday operations for men's and women's tennis, field hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving, fencing, cross country and the Wildcat Kids Club.
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