NACWAA Announces the Hiring of Rachel DeSchepper and Katie Hoffman, Plus Other Staff Updates

Contact: Rachel DeSchepper
Contact Email: [email protected]
Contact Organization: National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators
Contact Phone: 816-389-8208

Kansas City, Mo. — The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), the nation’s premier women’s athletic leadership association, has announced the hiring of Rachel DeSchepper as Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy and Katie Hoffman as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. The organization also bids farewell to two longtime leaders, Gina Krahulik and Shannon Myers.

DeSchepper started on October 31, 2016 and will be responsible for the organization's marketing strategy, brand identity, digital presence, and media relations. She comes to the team from digital publishing and content marketing space, where for the last 10 years she’s spearheaded the editorial, audience development, and social media strategies for national magazines, including ModernFarmer.com, AllYou.com, CountryLiving.com, and RachaelRaymag.com. She also worked as an editor for Country Home and Portland Spaces magazines, and led content marketing for mySidewalk, a civic tech start-up and other various clients.

Hoffman started on November 14, 2016 and will be responsible for securing most revenue for the association, including corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual philanthropic giving. Prior to joining NACWAA, Katie served as Manager of Partnership Activation for the Kansas City Chiefs, and as an Account Executive for Sooner Sports Properties, a Learfield Division, responsible for handling all corporate revenue for the University of Oklahoma Athletics Department. She took the Account Executive position after three years serving as the Director of Human Resources for OU Athletics. Hoffman initially started her career as an Associate Attorney with a Civil Litigation firm in Los Angeles, California, before pursuing a career in college athletics.

“We are so excited to bring Katie and Rachel onto our NACWAA team,” says Patti Phillips, NACWAA chief executive officer. “Katie’s relationships with the Kansas City and collegiate sports communities, her broad experience, and her varied skillset couldn’t be more perfect to grow NACWAA in 2017 and beyond. And Rachel’s expertise in brand voice, identity, and multi-media content creation are exactly what we need to extend our mission even further and empower more women leaders in collegiate sports.”

Krahulik’s last day at NACWAA was September 30, 2016 after three years as a NACWAA leader. She is now Executive Director of Girls on the Run of Greater Kansas City, where she’s responsible for carrying out the organization’s mission and impacting the Greater Kansas City area through inspiring young girls to live joyful, healthy, and confident lives.

After five years serving NACWAA, Myers’ last day will be December 21, 2016. She will be moving to the Northeast to start her own business that supports, prepares, and helps to transition professional athletes into a post-playing career.

“It’s never easy to say good-bye to our amazing team members, but I couldn’t be more excited about Gina and Shannon’s futures,” Phillips says. “Shannon has been an extraordinary and loyal employee for five years, and the partnerships she’s solidified during her time here has exceeded my expectations. I’m eager for Katie to take the baton and continue working with our invaluable partners.”

Phillips continues: “Gina is an enthusiastic, charismatic teammate, whose passion about leadership and the development of women helped us make NACWAA what it is today. I’m thrilled that she’ll be continuing a similar mission and making a huge impact at Girls on the Run.”

About National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators

Founded in 1979, National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA; www.nacwaa.org) is the only nationally recognized collegiate professional membership organization whose mission is to enhance and promote opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics administration and beyond. More than 3,500 members strong, NACWAA promotes the growth, leadership, and success of women as athletics administrators, conference commissioners, professional staff, coaches and student-athletes.