Fundraising, media relations, the Penn Relays and athletic marketing are all essential aspects of the Penn Athletic Department.
One person has the responsibility of overseeing all of these vital sectors -- the associate director of athletics for external affairs.
Yesterday, Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky announced that Andrew Bilello will fill this position.
"It's a very good job and I'm very excited to join," Bilello said. "Penn has one of the best athletic programs in the Ivy League and the country."
The position was previously held by Decker Uhlhorn. The 1969 Penn graduate recently switched roles in the Athletic Department to what Penn Director of Athletic Communications Carla Shultzberg Zighelboim called "special adviser to the athletic director."
Bilello, who responded to an advertisement in June and came to campus in July, will oversee four aspects of Penn athletics.
He will supervise the Athletic Development Department, which is in charge of fundraising and alumni donations. He will watch over Zighelboim's Athletic Communications Department and the Penn Relays.
For the moment, at least, Bilello will also be placed in charge of athletic marketing and promotions, a department with no director since the departure of Bill Richter this summer.
According to Zighelboim, Richter left the University unhappy after Penn "changed his position."
"We are pleased to have Andy join our staff," Bilsky said in a press release. "His enthusiasm and dedication is apparent to all who meet him and I look forward personally to working with him."
Bilello -- who comes to Penn with 14 years of experience in college athletics -- served a similar position in the Athletic Department at Towson University. There he managed areas of marketing, promotions and media relations for the Division I athletics program. He also dealt with corporate sponsors and ticket sales.
"No disrespect to Towson," Bilello said. "But Penn is a program I've wanted to be a part of for a long time."
Bilello was "heavily" involved in marketing for the NCAA Lacrosse Championships, which Towson co-hosted last year, and will again next year.
Penn's new associate director of athletics for external affairs' resum‚ includes positions such as assistant director of marketing and promotions at Navy and director of research for sales and marketing at WMAR-TV in Baltimore. Bilello also held three different positions at his alma mater Johns Hopkins -- sports information director, interim director of the booster club Blue Jays Unlimited and assistant director of athletics for marketing.
Having interviewed for two smaller positions at Penn in the early '90s, Bilello relishes the opportunity to head to West Philadelphia on a daily basis.
"I've always perceived Penn as a great place," he said.
