Point Park Athletics announced Chris Thomas as the new Associate Athletic Director and Sports Information Director (SID) last month.
Thomas oversees the athletic communications office and all communication for the athletic department. This includes the Point Park Sports website, social media, streaming and press releases. He also ensures that the university’s athletic communication abides by the NCAA and Mountain East Conference (MEC) guidelines.
The NCAA accepted Point Park as a provisional member in July. The Pioneers are officially part of the MEC and began conference matchups this fall.
“Chris is a consummate professional, and he knows the job that needs to happen,” Vice President of Athletics Scott Swain said. “It’s been great to have him on board [to] help support our staff and our coaches.”
Swain shared that he hired Thomas as SID because of his experience in NCAA Division II athletics and the MEC. Thomas brings over a decade of experience to the table, having served as SID for two other Division II institutions and having prior experience at the MEC office.
Thomas is from Fairmont, West Virginia, and he received his bachelor’s degree at Fairmont State, a Division II school in the MEC. He went on to earn his master’s degree at West Virginia University and then returned to Fairmont State to serve as their SID for nine years.
Thomas worked at another Division II school, Gannon University, before taking his most recent job for the MEC office as director of strategic communication. He worked in this role for over three years, where he managed communication efforts for MEC championships and oversaw conference communication and stat reporting.
“He knows our conference that we’re going into very, very well,” Swain said. “I have known Chris for over a decade, worked with him in a variety of roles, and I’ve seen his work. I’ve been very impressed throughout.”
The hiring process for a new SID began in May after the previous SID, Kevin Taylor, left the university. The athletic department hired Thomas in mid-August, and he started working on August 27.
Thomas shared that he spent 11 years working on a university campus, and he came to Point Park to return to that environment.
“I really got interested in moving to the area and promoting the student athletes through this Division II process of becoming NCAA,” Thomas said.
Fall sports are underway, so the sports information office already manages all communication for Point Park soccer, cross country, golf and volleyball.
“I really feel like it’s been a smooth transition,” Thomas said. “[We] took off running from what Tiana had set for us. We were in good shape when I got here.”
Tiana Lecker is the current assistant SID. She served as interim SID during the summer after Taylor stepped down from his position in the spring.
Lecker earned her undergraduate degree at Point Park, played softball for four years, interned for the athletic department and most recently served as graduate assistant in athletic communication. She worked this summer to ensure a steady adjustment as the university joined the NCAA.
Thomas and Lecker aim to elevate athletic communications at the university. They attend all home games and manage the stat reporting, live broadcasts, social media posts and more.
“I just want to help transform and promote the student athletes, the coaches [and] the institution the best I can,” Thomas said. “I like as part of this job to celebrate the accomplishments of athletes [and] celebrate the accomplishments of teams.”
