Here is a press release from Oregon State regarding a new addition and a few staff changes.
Corvallis – Zack Lassiter has been appointed deputy athletic director for external operations at Oregon State University, incoming Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury announced Monday. In addition, Stansbury promoted Marianne Vydra to deputy athletic director for administration (pending OSU HR approval) and Mark Massari assumes a new role as deputy athletic director for capital projects and internal operations.
Lassiter will provide the strategic vision and leadership for the department’s external units, including the management of OSU athletics’ brand, marketing, creation of multi-media content, ticket sales, Beaver Sports Properties, licensing, fan experience, social media strategies, media contracts, and merchandise. He also will be tasked with identifying new and enhancing existing revenue streams.
“Zack has a wealth of experience at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics from ticket sales to brand development and management, and this background will be a tremendous benefit for Oregon State University,” Stansbury said. “His knowledge of the Pacific Northwest and the Pac-12 Conference will also enable him to make an immediate impact with our external units.”
Lassiter arrives at OSU from the University of Central Florida, where he was part of Stansbury’s team since March of 2012 as the senior associate athletic director for external operations. His duties for the Knights included brand management and the departmental oversight of ticket sales and operations, marketing, promotions and communications, as well as serving as the primary liaison with IMG College and the university on licensing and merchandise. While under his leadership ticket sales increased by 25 percent and UCF was recently recognized as the top athletic department in the country for customer service.
From 2005 to early 2012, Lassiter held several roles at the University of Utah and was part of the team that helped transition the Utes from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12 Conference. He began his stint at Utah as the director of ticket sales and was eventually promoted to associate athletic director for revenue generation. He also negotiated several multi-media rights agreements and served on conference and national committees.
Lassiter began his professional career as an assistant ticket manager in 2001 at the University of North Carolina. He served in that role for two years before accepting a similar position at LSU for another two years.
He is a 1998 graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Ore., with bachelor degrees in economics and political science. He went on to earn his master’s degree from North Carolina in 2002 in sports administration.
Lassiter and his wife Rachel (Melchiorre) are the parents of two boys, Luke and Logan.
Vydra, who will retain her role as senior woman’s administrator, has been as OSU since 1992 beginning as an academic counselor. She has gradually worked her way into one of the top administrators in intercollege athletics and has been honored numerous times for her student-athlete initiatives at the university, conference and national level.
Massari spent six years as the director of athletics at UC Santa Barbara before returning to OSU last summer. He has been an integral part of numerous recent OSU facility project upgrades, including Reser Stadium, Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Gill Coliseum and the Sports Performance Center while also leading the Beavers’ external affairs team. Massari will work on current capital projects that include the Valley Football Center, the Whyte Track and Field Center and the renovation of Gill Coliseum.
“I’m fortunate to have two knowledgeable administrators in Marianne and Mark in place with vast amounts of experience from many different areas,” Stansbury said. “Marianne is one of the most respected champions of student-athlete welfare in the country and Mark’s background as an athletic director will pay dividends as we progress with key capital projects.”
Corvallis – Zack Lassiter has been appointed deputy athletic director for external operations at Oregon State University, incoming Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury announced Monday. In addition, Stansbury promoted Marianne Vydra to deputy athletic director for administration (pending OSU HR approval) and Mark Massari assumes a new role as deputy athletic director for capital projects and internal operations.
Lassiter will provide the strategic vision and leadership for the department’s external units, including the management of OSU athletics’ brand, marketing, creation of multi-media content, ticket sales, Beaver Sports Properties, licensing, fan experience, social media strategies, media contracts, and merchandise. He also will be tasked with identifying new and enhancing existing revenue streams.
“Zack has a wealth of experience at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics from ticket sales to brand development and management, and this background will be a tremendous benefit for Oregon State University,” Stansbury said. “His knowledge of the Pacific Northwest and the Pac-12 Conference will also enable him to make an immediate impact with our external units.”
Lassiter arrives at OSU from the University of Central Florida, where he was part of Stansbury’s team since March of 2012 as the senior associate athletic director for external operations. His duties for the Knights included brand management and the departmental oversight of ticket sales and operations, marketing, promotions and communications, as well as serving as the primary liaison with IMG College and the university on licensing and merchandise. While under his leadership ticket sales increased by 25 percent and UCF was recently recognized as the top athletic department in the country for customer service.
From 2005 to early 2012, Lassiter held several roles at the University of Utah and was part of the team that helped transition the Utes from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12 Conference. He began his stint at Utah as the director of ticket sales and was eventually promoted to associate athletic director for revenue generation. He also negotiated several multi-media rights agreements and served on conference and national committees.
Lassiter began his professional career as an assistant ticket manager in 2001 at the University of North Carolina. He served in that role for two years before accepting a similar position at LSU for another two years.
He is a 1998 graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Ore., with bachelor degrees in economics and political science. He went on to earn his master’s degree from North Carolina in 2002 in sports administration.
Lassiter and his wife Rachel (Melchiorre) are the parents of two boys, Luke and Logan.
Vydra, who will retain her role as senior woman’s administrator, has been as OSU since 1992 beginning as an academic counselor. She has gradually worked her way into one of the top administrators in intercollege athletics and has been honored numerous times for her student-athlete initiatives at the university, conference and national level.
Massari spent six years as the director of athletics at UC Santa Barbara before returning to OSU last summer. He has been an integral part of numerous recent OSU facility project upgrades, including Reser Stadium, Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Gill Coliseum and the Sports Performance Center while also leading the Beavers’ external affairs team. Massari will work on current capital projects that include the Valley Football Center, the Whyte Track and Field Center and the renovation of Gill Coliseum.
“I’m fortunate to have two knowledgeable administrators in Marianne and Mark in place with vast amounts of experience from many different areas,” Stansbury said. “Marianne is one of the most respected champions of student-athlete welfare in the country and Mark’s background as an athletic director will pay dividends as we progress with key capital projects.”
