Sport Management Advisory Council

Joe Lofton is the Football and Fan Development Coordinator for the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers. His primary role is coordinating outreach and character development for youth, high school, and flag football programs in western Pennsylvania as well as strategizing and executing events to increase brand awareness, fandom. and revenue. He also manages all Steelers youth social media accounts. Joe has experience with the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, NHL Pittsburgh Penguins, and Superbowl LIII. He is a former professional arena football player, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, and 2014 alumni of Tiffin University’s BBA in Sport Management. Member since 2020.

Ashley Madison joined the staff of the MLB Cleveland (Indians) Guardians in 2013 as a sales associate and currently serves as a senior account executive in the ticketing department. Her primary role includes planning outings for fans, corporations, and organizations through group ticket sales or suite rentals. Her favorite part of the job is getting to know her clients and creating an unforgettable experience at the ballpark. Ashley grew up in Oak Harbor, OH and is 2013 alumni of Tiffin University’s BBA in Sports Management. Member since 2020.

Ms. Funchess currently works for Pyramid Sports Group in Detroit, Michigan as a NFLPA certified contract advisor and Director of Client Engagement and Partnerships. Prior to Pyramid Sports, she ws a Public Relations Associate for the NFL New Orleans Saints and NBA New Orleans Pelicans.  She also worked as the Events and Marketing Associate for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Funchess earned her MBA from Tiffin University after graduating from the University of Michigan where she interned with the football deparment under the Director of Player Development. Ms. Funchess is  certified as an NFL agent.

Dr. Lorenzo Guess, alumni, is the Associate head strength and conditioning coach and Director of Player Enrichment at Michigan State University. Guess was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa), the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. He is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and certified by USA Weightlifting as a level one sports performance coach. Guess spent two seasons (2010-11) as an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Notre Dame under head coach Brian Kelly and spent a season at Cincinnati as a tight ends coach, helping the Bearcats to a 12-1 record and appearance in the Sugar Bowl. He also worked on the strength and conditioning staffs at South Florida, Alcorn State, Kentucky State, and Tiffin University where he received his MBA. Guess completed his undergraduate at Michigan State and his doctoral program with the United States Sports Academy where his research focused The Perception of Educational Barriers in Transition of African American Male Student-Athletes.

Since 2006, Jamie Moore has represented the NFL Indianapolis Colts as a scout for the southeast region. Prior to his position with the Colts, Moore served two years as a recruiting assistant at Ball State University. He is a known commodity to FBS football programs in the southeast having exclusively covered the area for over twelve seasons. Moore graduated from Tiffin University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Member since 2022.

Brett Myers is the Vice President of Operations for the AAA Louisville Bats, affiliate of the MLB Cincinnati Reds. Previous to his role with the Bats, Myers served two seasons as the Assistant General Manager for Good Year Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, the spring training facility for the MLB Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, His experience in professional baseball began when interning with the Reds in 2004. He has since worked in various roles (primarily game day operations) with the Amarillo Dillas, Lincoln Saltdogs, Omaha Stormchasers. Sacramento River Cats. Myers graduated from Tiffin University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Member since 2022.

Moss is the Chief Operating Officer for Moss Therapy and Wellness in Royal Oak (Detroit) Michigan, a counseling and creative arts psychotherapies practice. He is also the founder | President of Moss International, a consulting company offering business development and strategic management services to a variety of clients ranging from law firms to dance studios.  Moss has certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Interscholastic Athletic Administers Association, and USA Track and Field (USATA) as a Level 1 coach. He earned his Master of Education in Sport Administration from Bowling Green State University in 2006 and his Bachelor of Business in Sport Management from Tiffin University in 2004. (Member since 2023)

Thomas is the Executive Director of the Penn Fusion Soccer Academy in West Chester, PA. He started with the organization in 2007 and was promoted to the Director of Coaching in 2012 and General Manager in 2017. He holds a class A national coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and a level 2 license from the English Football Academy. Thomas is also the founder/director of East Coast I.D which provides 600+ players a year recruitment opportunities at showcase ID clinics with NCAA coaches.  A native of Wales, Thomas earned his Bachelor of Business in Sport Management from Tiffin University in 2006.  (Member since 2023).

Adcock is an Associate Director of Core Processing in the Eligibility Center at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to his role with the NCAA, Adcock worked as a play-by-play announcer for Anderson University athletics, IUPUI athletics, and other regional sport events. He also completed a mentorship with the NBA Indiana Pacers Sports & Entertainment under Chris Denari, a long-time play-by-play announcer. Adcock completed his MBA in sport management from Tiffin University in 2008. (Member since 2023).

Since 2019, McAffee has served as the Arena Manager for USA Hockey in Livonia, Michigan. In addition to his primary facility duties, he works with USA Hockey development and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to coordinate championships, evaluation camps, world junior showcases, and other events for 15-only and U20 youth. Prior to USA Hockey, McAffee was a sport coordinator for baseball and softball at Sports Force Park in Sandusky, Ohio.  He also held numerous positions with the Fremont Recreation Department. Internships included the New York Islanders and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. McAffee graduated from Tiffin University with a BBA in Sport Management in 2013. (Member since 2023).

Simmons is the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Community Engagement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She joined Yale in 2019 after almost eight years with Colgate University as the Assistant Athletics Director for Fan Engagement and formerly, the Compliance Coordinator. She also has experience with Fox Sports Net as a ticket administrator and with the Atlanta Youth Soccer Association. Simmons received her bachelor of art degree in communications and public relations from Georgia State University and her MBA in sport management from Tiffin University in 2013. (Member since 2003).

Dr. Liston Bochette III competed in five Olympic Games, both as a decathlete (summer) and bobsledder (winter). He has served on multiple international sports federations, committees and boards including a role as a delegate to the White House for Olympic Affairs and as a speaker in front of the United Nations. He presided over 200 national governing sport bodies (NGBs) during two terms as the Secretary-General to the World Olympians Association. He also served as President of the Pan American Olympians Association and was selected to participate on the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee. He is co-founder of the Art of the Olympians Museum, and was appointed Chairman of the American Sports Museum and Archives in Daphne, Alabama. Dr. Bochette is currently an elected member of the Fort Myers City Council. Member since 2020 and a guest professor in the MBA Sport Management program.

Josiah Henson, J.D.  has worked as an attorney for law firms in the northeast United States, representing clients on matters including international trade, energy regulations and ethics. Currently, he is a principal at IPO Pang Xingpu and partner of Henson, Pang, and Winnie, a law firm and consulting group based in Washington, D.C., and Shanghai, China. Henson attended Harvard University and the University of Virginia. He is active in the sport and entertainment industry, working with producers, writers, athletes and actors. He resides in the Washington D.C. area and serves in the National Guard. Member since 2020.

Dr. Noemi Zaharia is a two-time Olympic swimmer from Romania who currently works as a Clinical Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Zaharia received her doctorate in education with a specialization in sport leadership from the United States Sports Academy where she researched athletic achievement and leadership traits of Olympic athletes. She won a silver and bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Zaharia is a member of the North American Society of Sport Management and the World Olympians Association. Member since 2022.

Thadeus Jackson is a strength and conditioning assistant for the NFL Green Bay Packers. He was hired in 2010 and has over twelve seasons of experience. In addition to designing and implementing training regimens, Jackson works with special teams on game days. Prior to working with the Packers, he interned with the NFL New England Patriots and worked two seasons as a strength and conditioning assistant for the University of Alabama. He is currently pursuing his doctorate of Education in Sport Management with an emphasis in Sport Health and Fitness and Sports Medicine through the United States Sports Academy. He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Member since 2022.

Goff retired in 2015 from the NCAA Horizon League after 19 years where she served as the senior associate commissioner and chief championships administrator. She also served six years on the NCAA Division I Management Council. She began her intercollegiate athletics career in 1975 as an assistant track and field coach and eventually head coach at the University of Pittsburgh before becoming the first administrator to oversee men’s and women’s sports at Virginia Commonwealth University and the first female athletic director at Virginia State University.  Goff has received numerous recognitions for her 40+ career including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women Leaders in College Sports and the Black Coaches Administrator Woman of the Year. Goff also served on the board of directors for the Indianapolis YMCA. Goff received her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Slippery Rock State College and a master’s degree in health and physical education from Pennsylvania State University. (Member since 2023)

Perkins is the Director of Strategy, Data & Analytics for the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA affiliate of the MLB Detroit Tigers) and the Walleye (ECHL affiliate of the NHL Detroit Red Wings). He joined the organization in 2005 as a ticket sales consultant. In 2015 Perkins was named ECHL ticket executive of the year. Perkins was tasked with building a business intelligence department from scratch and continues to oversee strategy planning, development, and data collection.  He received his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Bowling Green State University.  (Member since 2023)

Knight is the Manager of Partnership Marketing for CBS Sports & Olympics in Toronto, Canada. She is also the founder of Black in Sport Business, an organization providing mentorships and affiliations in the sports industry for black professionals in Canada. Knight is an adjunct instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University and George Brown College.  She also has experience as the community relations director with the Weather Network. Knight received a master of science degree from Peloponnese University in Greece as part of the International Olympic Academy. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pre-law from the University of Mary and received a post-graduate certificate in sports and event management from George Brown College and eventually continued coursework in Olympic Media at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain. (Member since 2023)