Three Selected to Attend TopConnectAD 2021
6/23/2021 5:20:00 PM | General, Mean Green Athletic Fund, Tickets
DENTON – A trio of North Texas Athletics administrators have been selected to attend TopConnect AD 2021, a leadership symposium for aspiring Division-I Athletics Directors sponsored by TEAMWORKS/#INFLCR.
Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Ryan Peck, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Ticket Sales and Operations Matt Carabajal and Assistant Athletic Director for Development Esteban Arriola will represent the Mean Green at this year's conference.
Peck, who has been with North Texas since 2016, was promoted to his current role earlier this year. Under his leadership, UNT has received 12 of the 20 largest gifts in athletics history and set numerous fundraising and attendance records.
Entering his third year with UNT, Carabajal has led the North Texas ticket office to several record-breaking attendance and revenue performances. He has also been instrumental in leading the transition to digital ticketing.
Arriola joined the North Texas development staff earlier this month from San Diego State. Most recently, during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, he was able to raise $1.4 million over his annual target for the Aztec Club.
The second annual symposium hosted by TopConnect, a subsidiary of Connected Media, LLC, will be held virtually on June 24th and June 25th. The 2021 program is headlined by Jeremy Foley, Athletics Director Emeritus at the University of Florida.
TopConnect AD is designed for senior level athletics administrators who are committed to taking the next step in their careers. Attendees will benefit from panels with current Presidents of Division-I institutions, with NIL professionals Kevin Barefoot from TEAMWORKS/#INFLCR and legal expert Darren Heitner, panels focused on translating moment into action and the A to Z of Hiring a Head Coach.
TopConnect has revolutionized the connections within the world of collegiate athletics by connecting future leaders with current leaders through an educational forum. Initially launched over fifteen years ago as Villa 7, the TopConnect program has evolved into a valuable resource for coaches, athletics administrators, and other industry leaders. Since TopConnect's launch in 2018, fourteen attendees have been hired into their dream position as an Athletics Director, Head Men's Basketball Coach, or Head Women's Basketball Coach. This includes Randale Richmond, Director of Athletics at Kent State, who will be presenting a session on how to prep for the big interview.
