JMU Athletics Announces Multiple Administrative and Director-Level Staff Appointments

HARRISONBURG, Va. - James Madison Athletics has made official a series of leadership additions and promotions within the athletics support staff, as announced by Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne on Friday morning. The appointments, a combination of new arrivals to JMU and promotions within the department, feature a mix of recent actions and some that occurred during the pandemic.

"The success of JMU Athletics is built around our people and our culture," Bourne said. "Each of these individuals, a combination of new hires and promotions, brings immeasurable value to our operation. As things improve with the pandemic, I am pleased to publicly acknowledge these staffing updates and look forward to their continued impact."

Personnel Updates within the Administrative Team

Brad Burgess | Assistant Athletics Director for Internal Development

Burgess has been with the Duke Club since the summer of 2017 as an athletic development officer and was promoted to assistant A.D. for internal development earlier this year. In his new role, he will oversee and coordinate the development office's operations and logistics.

Before he returned to JMU in 2017, Burgess spent a year in a similar role at Western Carolina. Burgess holds two degrees from JMU - both a bachelor's and master's in sport and recreation management and leadership - and served as a graduate assistant in JMU's student-athlete leadership development program from 2014-16.

Andrew Hijjeh | Director of Athletics Business Office

After assisting with the operations of the JMU Athletics Business Office since his initial hire in September of 2017, Hijjeh has been tabbed to lead JMU's business and financial operations. The business office handles budgeting for all of JMU Athletics, coordinating all financial transactions for the department, overseeing personnel and serving as the human resources director for athletics.

Hijjeh is a 2012 JMU grad and previously worked in JMU's office of residence life as a fiscal and operations coordinator.

Jenn Phillips | Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development/Senior Woman Administrator

Phillips supervises all areas of student-athlete services (academic advising), leadership-development (Dukes Lead) and compliance for JMU Athletics. As part of her role on the department leadership team, she provides counsel to the director of athletics. In her capacity as senior woman administrator, she is a key liaison for the department on NCAA and conference membership and governance issues. She also serves as sport supervisor for women's basketball and swimming and diving.

In previous roles, Phillips worked in compliance at Colorado, West Virginia and Gardner-Webb. She also worked in an assistant director of compliance role at JMU earlier in her career before returning in an administrative capacity. She is a 1999 graduate of West Virginia and also received a master's degree from WVU in 2000.

Scooter Renkin | Assistant Athletics Director – Major Gifts Officer

Renkin returned to JMU to join the Duke Club as an athletics development officer in 2017. His fundraising success has led to oversight of major gift efforts as the Duke Club's efforts expand in line with JMU's move to FBS football and the Sun Belt Conference.

Renkin began his intercollegiate men's basketball career at JMU before transferring to Division II Indiana University in Pennsylvania. His is a 2013 graduate of IUP and a 2016 master's graduate of the VCU Center for Sports Leadership. He held previous fundraising roles at Richmond and N.C. State.

Melissa Wyant | Assistant Athletics Director for Creative Services and Fan Engagement

Wyant was promoted in summer 2021 to oversee both the creative services and fan engagement areas of JMU Athletics. Fan engagement, previously referred to as athletics marketing, manages the in-game environment and promotional efforts of all home events. The creative services staff includes graphic design, photography and video services related to all social media, print, digital and other creative applications.

Previously, Wyant began her role with JMU Athletics in 2017 as an assistant director of athletics communications. She then served at JMU as assistant director of digital and social media beginning in February 2018 and expanded that role director of branded content in 2020. Prior to returning to her alma mater in 2017, Wyant earned her bachelor of arts degree in media arts and design with a concentration in converged media from JMU in 2016 before spending the 2016-17 season as the communications assistant with the Atlantic 10.

Other Director-Level Actions

Chris Brooks | Director of Athletics Communications

Brooks joined the JMU communications staff in July of 2014 and took over football responsibilities in 2015. His new role offers expanded opportunity to focus on content, coverage and media relations related to the football program.

A 2009 graduate of George Mason, Brooks worked internships with the Colonial Athletic Association and JMU before then spending three years, including one as assistant AD, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Thomas Culligan | Director of Compliance

Culligan joined JMU Athletics prior to the 2020-21 school year as director of compliance after spending the 2019-20 season as compliance coordinator at College of Charleston, where he worked directly with multiple sports. Prior to that, Culligan spent a year in a similar role at Army West Point.

Culligan earned his B.S. in sport management from Roanoke College in 2018 and recently earned an M.S. in sport leadership from Northeastern.

Ben Ginn | Director of Equipment Services

Ginn arrived at JMU to oversee the Dukes' equipment operations after serving in the same role at Wichita State since the summer of 2017. At Wichita State, he oversaw equipment operations for 11 sports, assisting the Shockers with contract operations and guidelines, purchasing and distribution logistics and staff oversight.

He was also head equipment manager at Towson from 2012-17 and spent time on the equipment staffs for both the University of Connecticut and the Hartford Colonials.

Brad Monahan | Director of Audio-Visual Support

Monahan joined JMU Athletics in the fall of 2021 in a new role to lead audio visual efforts. With the opening of the Atlantic Union Bank Center, JMU's inventory of technology assets has significantly increased. Monahan will lead maintenance, planning and implementation of A/V needs for various athletics and special events while also providing support of strategic opportunities for the department.

Prior to Athletics, Monahan spent the last seven years in a similar role as technical and operations coordinator for the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts at JMU. He held additional roles as event technology supervisor at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and as production manager for the City of Hampton, Va. He is a 2009 graduate of West Virginia with a degree in recreation and entertainment.

Lisa Schneider | Director of Compliance

Schneider entered the role of director of compliance with JMU Athletics in August of 2021 after two years working for the university as a Title IX operations assistant. She has extensive compliance experience in college athletics, having most recently served as assistant AD and senior woman administrator at Western Kentucky for five years. She also worked identical roles as Director of Initial Eligibility for two years at Auburn followed by two and a half years at Texas Tech.

Schneider began her career in college athletics with six years at the NCAA national office in roles as an administrative assistant and as coordinator of client relations. She is a 2002 graduate of Purdue with a bachelor's degree in management and earned her master's in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration while at WKU in 2016.

Curtis Stoneberger | Director of the Atlantic Union Bank Center

Stoneberger arrived at JMU in the fall of 2021 to take over operation of the Atlantic Union Bank Center, JMU's basketball and multi-purpose events facility. Prior to JMU, he spent the last seven years as president of event and artist management at Bridgekick, Inc. in Franklin, Tenn. He helped launch the entertainment services company.

A 1993 graduate of Liberty, Stoneberger's other event management roles included six years as senior director of events and client services with the Warner Music Group in Nashville and six years as vice president with Peculiar People Inc. in Franklin. He also spent seven years as director of athletics at Mt. Carmel Chrsitian Academy in Luray, Va.

Raymond Tucker | Director of Event Management

Tucker brings a broad history of event coordination to JMU, having spent the last six years in various operations roles across collegiate athletics. Most recently, he spent the 2019-20 season as operations assistant at Campbell, where he served as the event administrator for seven different sports, assisting with both football and men's basketball.

He has also spent time with the Atlantic 10 and worked at both Old Dominion, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2015, and Virginia State University, where he completed his Master of Science in physical education with a concentration in sport management in 2018.

Jacob Van Roekel | Director of Dukes Lead / Academic Advisor

Van Roekel was elevated in summer of 2021 to the role of Director of Dukes Lead, while maintaining some of his previous duties as an academic advisor. In his new role under assistant A.D. Meredith Crawford, Van Roekel adds additional resources to the growth of JMU's Student-Athlete Leadership Program (Dukes Lead) to help student-athletes to grow and find opportunity outside of competition and be prepared for the post-graduate environment.

A 2012 graduate of Pittsburgh, Van Roekel also completed his master's in teaching from Pittsburgh in 2013 and spent the first four years of his professional journey as a biology teacher at Salem High School in Salem, Va., where he also worked as a swim coach.

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