JMU Athletics Announces New Hires

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne announced Wednesday the hiring of four staff members to director-level positions in the department. The new additions include Director of Live Productions Kelly Bowmaster, Director of Special Events and Donor Stewardship Ashley Doyle, Director of Fan Engagement Jake Longenecker and Director of Creative Media for Football Justin Nicely.

"We are grateful to add these four individuals into director-level leadership roles within the department," Bourne said. "Each of them adds value to JMU Athletics with their unique skill sets and expertise. Fan Engagement, the Duke Club, the football program and our broadcast operations will benefit greatly from their presence and from their commitment."

JMU Athletics Director-Level Additions

Kelly Bowmaster | Director of Live Productions

Bowmaster enters his first official position with JMU Athletics but has been a familiar face around the department. He will lead all aspects of the department's broadcast operations and the transition to ESPN+ as part of the move to the Sun Belt Conference. He has worked largely as a freelance professional in the live streaming industry with local Telemedia Productions and multiple other regional entities. The freelance work has included crew positions at JMU, William & Mary, the CAA, the Atlantic 10 and more. He also worked for the CAA and for the Charlottesville Newsplex earlier in his career. Bowmaster is a 2004 JMU graduate from the School of Media Arts & Design.

Ashley Doyle | Director of Special Events and Donor Stewardship

Doyle carries a diverse background into her new role coordinating all events for the JMU Duke Club. It is her first full-time role with the unit after previously working as a graduate assistant 2018-2020, which was followed by an eight-month stint as an assistant with the Dukes Lead program. Her other event coordination experience includes her most recent role as event coordinator for the University of Maryland. That followed a stint as manager of operations and events at Segra Field, a soccer facility that serves as home to the Loudoun United FC and Washington Spirit (NWSL). She also previously worked for DC United and worked event support as a student at Maryland, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2017. Doyle added a master's degree from JMU's Hart School in 2020.

Jake Longenecker | Director of Fan Engagement

Longenecker joins JMU Athletics to lead its fan engagement (marketing) efforts with a focus on football as the Dukes prepare for their first season in the Sun Belt. He will oversee all aspects of game day environment and in-game initiatives. He carries relevant experience into his new role, having served a similar position at fellow Sun Belt member Louisiana. He started at Louisiana as an assistant director in 2019 before a 2021 promotion. He also worked as a marketing assistant at the University of Maryland for two years and as a graphic design and marketing intern at Auburn. Longenecker is a 2018 graduate from Auburn.

Justin Nicely | Director of Creative Media for Football

Nicely adds a boost to all creative efforts for JMU football, providing content to be used on the program's social media accounts as well as coordinating all digital needs for recruiting efforts with an emphasis on graphic design. He most recently held a similar role for Missouri and held similar recruiting content roles at Northern Illinois and Liberty. Nicely earned a bachelor's degree from Liberty in 2020.