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2019 Special Awards Salute: Joni Lehmann (Big 12 Conference), CoSIDA 25-Year Award

Date postedApril 4, 2019
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SuperLeader #CSCUnite26 Convention - Reg Open 2019 Special Awards Salute: Joni Lehmann (Big 12 Conference), CoSIDA 25-Year Award Related Content
Joni Lehmann – Big 12 Conference, Director - Media Services
2019 CoSIDA 25-Year Award recipient by Julie Bennett, Baylor University (retired) and CoSIDA Hall of Fame member Oklahoma native Joni James Lehmann’s love for sports began at a young age. Her parents, Bill and Erville, took her to games to watch her cousins play football and basketball. The Nowata, Oklahoma, family spent the rest of their weekends cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys. Due to her love of sports, Lehmann, who will receive a 2019 CoSIDA 25-Year Award for her long-time service to athletic communications, longed for a career working in athletics. As a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, she discovered the field of athletic communications. Lehmann spent four years in the OU media relations office as a student assistant, which fulfilled a childhood dream of working with Barry Switzer and the OU football team among many other sports. While at Oklahoma, Lehmann would gain the experience and passion that would spur her to a highly-successful and long career in athletic communications. “The introduction by a family friend to the sports information field as a freshman at OU was a true blessing as it paved the way for my future career. I knew I wanted to work in an athletics profession, but had no idea that this field existed,” said Lehmann. Upon graduating from OU in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Lehmann served an internship at the University of Kentucky then moved back closer to her native state by accepting a position at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She spent six years as the Women’s Sports Information Director for the Ladyjacks before moving on to her first conference stint as an assistant media relations director for the Southeastern Conference. After one year at the SEC, Lehmann seized another opportunity when she, in just its third year of existence, was named Assistant Media Relations Director at the Big 12 Conference. Lehmann was promoted to Associate Director of Communications at the Big 12 in 2005. In 2017, she was named the Big 12’s Director of Media Services. “Working at the Big 12 was a dream job for me,” said Lehmann. “After 20-plus years I still enjoy it as much as ever and am thankful for the support of current and past colleagues, many who have become like family.” Her choice of career has not only enriched her professional life but it brought Lehmann and her late husband, Dave, together. Dave Lehmann was a long-time member of the Kansas State statistics crew and a friendship developed with each other through working together for league events. That friendship eventually progressed to a romance and marriage in 2008. Sadly, Dave passed unexpectedly in 2011, but his legacy will forever live in Joni’s heart and at K-State, as a tribute has been established with the planting of a tree in Dave’s memory on campus. 8778 Lehmann with her late husband, Dave, working the auxiliary media area during Super Bowl XLV at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Throughout her storied career, Lehmann has developed into a strategic communications professional with extensive experience in media relations, event management and leadership. Additionally, she has developed oral and written communication skills to handle varied professional situations and crisis management. Lehmann has adapted to the world of new media to utilize social media platforms to inform and engage with internal and external stakeholders, media and public as well as contribute new ideas for digital media content. A couple of notable career highlights include serving as host media coordinator for the 2017 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. The event was hailed by national media and the NCAA as one of the most successful in the event’s history. In addition to publicizing and planning efforts a year in advance, Lehmann was responsible for the recruitment and supervision of a 50-plus team of media operations volunteers from across the country and serviced close to 300 media members during the event. She currently serves as Media Coordinator for the Big 12 Football and Men’s Basketball Championships, as well as annual Media Days for both sports. According to Lehmann, “Of the many events I’ve worked and hosted, serving as the host media coordinator for the 2017 Women’s Final Four is one my favorites. Also, I will also always cherish the many events my late husband, Dave, and I were able to work together, including Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas.” Since she obtained her beginnings in the profession as a student, Lehmann has a passion for mentoring students and assisting with their professional and personal growth and development. In her capacity at the conference level, Lehman places students into positions at championship events to provide real-time work experience and often speaks in college classrooms about the profession. Through her extensive contacts, Lehmann is able to offer valuable guidance to media outlets regarding students who have worked for or with her, enabling them to obtain positions in the career field post-graduation. “I appreciate the many opportunities that athletics communications has provided, but the most rewarding has been the cultivation of relationships. I have met many of my closest friends through this career path. I constantly remind younger professionals that relationships are the most important facet of the communications business,” said Lehmann. During her “off’ time, Lehmann enjoys attending OU football games with her mother, Erville, catching as many Gary P. Nunn and Bradley Banning concerts as possible and traveling with retired SID friends Julie Bennett and Debbie Darrah (Texas A&M). The trio, along with Joni’s mother have cruised to the Caribbean, Alaska and will take a Greek Isle cruise this summer. “I’ve had many mentors across the years, but will always be grateful to Oklahoma’s Jan Burton and Debbie Copp for helping a shy small-town freshman get started in this business as well as former colleagues (former CoSIDA president) Tammy Boclair and (retired Big 12 associate commissioner) Dru Hancock,” said Lehmann. “These ladies, along with many others, provided a shining example of how to assist other women who wanted to work in this outstanding profession.” 8476

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  • 06/23/26 / 12:00 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District Released; National Voting Begins (NCAA, NAIA)
  • 06/23/26 / 12:00 P.M. Baseball Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
  • 06/23/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W At-Large Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
  • 06/30/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
  • 07/07/26 / 12:00 P.M. W At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
  • 07/08/26 / 12:00 P.M. M At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
  • 07/14/26 / 12:00 P.M. M Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
  • 06/07/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
  • 06/08/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
  • 06/09/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
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