College Sports Information Directors of America

The Horizon League announced recently the hiring of Robert Hester as director of communications and Lindsay Martin as communications intern as the League looks to expand it publicity and media relations efforts on behalf of its nine member institutions.

In addition, Assistant Commissioner for Communications Will Roleson will assume additional administrative and communications responsibilities while continuing to oversee the communications team.

Hester, who spent nine years as a full-time assistant in the sports information office Northern Illinois University, will coordinate the League’s day-to-day communications responsibilities while working directly with the sports of men’s soccer, men’s basketball and baseball. He also will serve as the office’s publications manager and men’s basketball tournament media coordinator while assisting with media services for the 2006 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.

From 1995-2004, Hester was as an assistant and then associate sports information director at Northern Illinois, where he coordinated publicity and media relations functions for the 17-sport athletic program, including working closely with members of the Chicago and other national media. At NIU, he received several Excellence in Sports Information Awards from SoccerBuzz magazine, and his women’s basketball game programs were twice named "Best in the Nation" by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Hester earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northern Illinois in 1992 and an MBA from the school in 1993. He currently serves as chair of the CoSIDA Scholarships Committee and was the organization’s scholarship recipient in 1992. A native of Lombard, Ill., he and his wife Wendy reside in Carmel.

"I am looking forward to working with the League’s nine member schools and also to the meeting the challenges associated with hosting the Final Four," Hester said. "Through my previous position at Northern Illinois, I have become familiar with the Horizon League and its history. I am happy to have a chance to promote the League’s success in years to come."

Martin, a 2005 graduate of League-member Butler University, will serve in the newly created position of full-time communications intern. In that role, she will assist Hester and Assistant Director of Communications Taylor Payne with the day-to-day communications needs of the League while having direct responsibilities for the sports of volleyball, swimming and diving, and tennis.

Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Butler with minors in Spanish and anthropology. As an undergraduate, she wrote for Butler’s Dawgnet online newspaper and performed internships with the Indianapolis Ice minor league hockey team, the USA Gymnastics national headquarters and Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. She also was a media services volunteer at the 2005 Big Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Championship and the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.

A native of Farmersville, Ill., she is single and resides in Indianapolis.

"Joining the League office not only gives me a chance to continue working with the same schools that I had been following for the last four years as a student reporter, but it provides me with the great opportunity to gain more experience in the field of communications," Martin said. "I am definitely looking forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead."

In addition to overseeing the communications area, Roleson now will serve as the Horizon League’s sport administrator for women’s soccer and men’s and women’s golf, coordinate the League’s video streaming initiative and assist with future scheduling for men’s and women’s basketball. He will continue to serve as co-chair of the Indianapolis Local Organizing Committee’s media services group for the 2006 NCAA Men’s Final Four at the RCA Dome.

Prior to joining the League staff in July 2004, Roleson spent eight years in the sports information office at Kent State University, including the last five as sports information director. He was the media relations contact for the Golden Flashes men’s basketball team during its run to the Elight Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.

A native of Brookville, Ind., Roleson earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Miami University in 1993. He and his wife Cristy reside in Greenwood with their three sons, Noah, Jonah and Elijah.

Calendar

Important Dates