The Chattanooga Mocs continue to enhance the athletics administration this summer. The latest hire is Associate Athletics Director for Development Ryan Jones.
Jones comes to the Scenic City from the Smoky Mountains and Cullowhee, N.C. He spent the last seven years at Western Carolina rising to associate athletics director for development and ticketing and director of the Catamount Club.
After taking over as the head of the Catamount Club, Jones led the fundraising arm to unprecedented heights that included eclipsing the $2 million fundraising mark in three consecutive fiscal years in 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20.
He and his staff also saw continued growth in the size of the organization, as well as the amount raised for the annual fund towards student-athlete scholarships. He has also successfully orchestrated several “Giving Tuesday” initiatives – one-day fundraising blitzes designed to meet a particular goal or need of the department.
He got his start in collegiate fund-raising during his master’s work at Tennessee. First was as development intern in 2012 followed by a promotion to development assistant after completing his MBA in 2013. That year preceded to his shift to Cullowhee.
Jones has worked in athletics marketing and communications as well. His first year in Knoxville was as a marketing intern. During his undergraduate days at N.C. State he served as a media relations intern for the Wolfpack two years as well as a 10-month stint at Shaw. Jones also spent a year with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
He is not the only new addition to the Mocs administration and support staff recently. Mark Curtis took over the newly created director of ticket sales position, while Aaron Collazo enters as assistant director of athletics performance and Neil Farrell is promoted to Assistant Athletics Director for Development.
There are several additions in sports medicine. Brittney Wilson was elevated to assistant athletic trainer focusing on softball, while Ashley Grillo also joined the staff as assistant athletic trainer caring for the wrestling program. Three certified athletic training interns Anna Bolton, Caroline Ross and Allison Kraus-Saravia also came on board in July.