Providence College Athletics

Blake James Named Director Of Development For Athletics

Blake James Named Director Of Development For Athletics

James has worked in athletic development at Miami and Nebraska.

Oct. 7, 2002

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It was announced on October 7 that Providence College Vice President of Alumni/Development Joe Brum and Athletic Director Bob Driscoll named Blake James Director of Development for Athletics.

The Director of Development for Athletics is a new position at Providence College that was created to enhance the fund raising efforts of the athletic department. James will be responsible for expanding and improving the fund raising efforts and implementing new initiatives to develop a comprehensive Friar Athletic Fund. He also will be in charge of generating ongoing charitable gift support for the athletic programs and facility needs at Providence College.

"Blake has the experience and skills to help build the Friar Athletic Fund into a powerful resource for Providence College," Brum stated. "We are fortunate to have him on our advancement team."

James comes to Providence College with significant experience in athletic development. James was promoted to the Director of Athletic Development position at the University of Miami in March of 2000. Prior to that, he had served as the Director of Major Gifts/Corporate Sales at Miami for 18 months. As Director of Development at Miami, James was responsible for all aspects of athletic fund raising, including the annual campaign for the Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund, the Convocation Center Capital Campaign, the Athletic Training Complex Capital Campaign, special events, the Planned Giving Program, and the Student-Athlete Scholarship Endowment Program.

"Blake James will be a great addition to Providence College," Driscoll said. "He has gained tremendous experience at two high-profile universities and has demonstrated the ability to raise money. We believe that Blake will be instrumental in helping Providence College athletics become one of the top programs in the nation."

James, who earned his bachelor's degree in 1992 from Mankato State and his master's degree in 1994 from St. Thomas University, began working in athletic development in 1993 at the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. He worked for 13 months in development, event bidding and marketing for the Sports Commission. In April of 1995, James was hired as the Director of Ticket Sales at the University of Miami. In October of 1997, he was named an athletic development officer at the University of Nebraska.

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