Keynote Speaker, Joe Sill: Senior Advisor, Analytics, Washington Wizards
Joe Sill is a 1993 graduate of Yale University, where he was a double major in applied math and philosophy while part of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Sill continued his education, obtaining his PHd in computation and neural systems from Caltech in 1998.
Sill has been with the Washington Wizards since 2010, currently serving as the team’s senior advisor of analytics, and has played a vital role in the team’s use of automated proprietary analytics over the past decade. Sill won the best paper prize at MIT Sloan in 2010 for his paper on regularized adjusted plus/minus (RAPM), a precursor to ESPN’s use of the Real Plus/Minus stat.
In 2011, Sill was recognized as a coauthor of an award-winning paper at RecSys, a computer science conference focused on recommender systems. Sill, recognized as the largest shareholder on his team, also competed in the Netflix Prize data science contest, placing second out of thousands of teams competing for a $1 million grand prize.
Shea Stanton: Sports Information Director, Washington and Jefferson College
Shea Stanton, an IUP alumnus (’22) is entering his second year as the sports information director at W&J. Stanton heads the operations of the W&J Sports Information Office and is responsible for the maintenance of the gopresidents.com website, the coverage of all 28 of W&J’s varsity teams, the oversight of the W&J Sports Network, and social media management of all W&J athletics pages.
Stanton was most recently named to the inaugural class of the NCAA Division III Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite Program, being one of the 30 selected for this program by their peers. Prior to W&J, Stanton served as an athletics communications specialist at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. There, he assisted in the daily coverage and promotion of UWSP’s 26 NCAA Division III athletic programs. While at UW, Stevens Point, one of Stanton’s successes was creating a new social media push called “Pointer Pause,” which centered around the behind-the-scenes thoughts and opinions of UWSP student-athletes. Stanton also oversaw the introduction of the first UWSP women’s lacrosse team.
Shana Kelly: Sr. Director, Athlete Engagement, Dick’s Sporting Goods
Shana Kelly began her career working in marketing and channel management, including email, direct mail, and social media. Kelly then transitioned into customer analytics, owned insights, and data strategy for major retailers like Ralph Lauren and GNC.
Kelly has been with Dick’s for over five years and currently leads the athlete engagement and service functions. Kelly currently lives in the Pittsburgh area with her husband, twin eight-year-olds, and two dogs. Kelly is an IUP alumna (‘11), serving as the president of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority during her time here at IUP.
Jake Nulph: Director of Athletics, Kiski Area School District
Jake Nulph is entering his second year as the director of athletics for the Kiski Area School District, a 5A WPIAL school sponsoring 20 varsity athletic teams. Prior to Kiski, Nulph spent 20 years as a collegiate football coach and was most recently the head coach of Pennwest Edinboro from 2020 to 2024. While at Edinboro, Nulph led a fundraising campaign for a new locker room facility that opened in 2021. During the 2021 season, Edinboro led the country in blocked kicks, was the least penalized team in the PSAC, and upset #23 IUP. During the 2024 season, Edinboro upset FCS Robert Morris and #21 IUP. Nulph coached 19 All-PSAC honorees and two All-Americans.
Starting his coaching career in 2005 as a graduate assistant at Robert Morris, Nulph has made stops at Allegheny, Saint Francis, Westminster, Duquesne, and IUP, coaching 61 All-Conference performers and six All-Americans in his 20-year career. Nulph graduated with a degree in communications studies from Robert Morris in 2005, later earning his master of science degree in communication and information systems in 2007. Nulph is a 2020 inductee of the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame and a 2025 inductee of the Duquesne University Hall of Fame.
Alex Guminski: President and Talent Agent, ProZone, The Agency
Alex Guminski is a licensed contract advisor and agent for the NFL, CFL, and FIBA and has negotiated over $100 million in contract values for his clients. Representing dozens of professional, college, and high school athletes, Guminski founded ProZone with the belief that anything is possible with faith, sacrifice, effort, smart work, and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
Guminski also serves as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh, teaching name, image, and likeness deals to future sports professionals. Since 2013, he has built his law practice, Guminski, PC, focusing on areas of law that athletes will certainly face in their careers, such as real estate, tax law, and start-up businesses.
Connor Siskovic: Director of Ticket Sales, Pittsburgh Penguins
Connor Siskovic is the director of ticket sales for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Siskovic joined the Penguins in February 2023 and is responsible for overseeing the New Business, Groups, and Inside Sales teams. Prior to joining the Penguins, Siskovic worked as the general manager of ticket sales and service for Vanderbilt University through Learfield Amplify. He also spent four years in the ticket sales department at Syracuse University, where he earned his MBA.
Peter Solberg: Manager, Business Development, Troon Golf
Peter Solberg, an IUP alumnus (‘18), furthered his education by obtaining his MBA at Penn State University in 2022. Throughout his college and professional career, Solberg has 10 years of experience in the golf industry, working in a wide range of roles at public and private clubs and in corporate golf management. His experience includes an agronomy internship at the prestigious Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and serving on the maintenance crew at two PGA Tour events.
Currently, Solberg is the business development manager at Troon Golf, the global leader in golf management and hospitality. In this role, he partners with golf course owners and prospective clients to help maximize each club’s operational and financial performance through strategic financial planning, comprehensive written proposals, and advisory support focused on long-term success and meaningful community impact. An avid golfer and seasoned traveler, Solberg has three holes-in-one and has summited Mount Kilimanjaro.
Jordan Albright: Associate A.D./Ticket Sales and Digital Marketing, Naval Academy
Jordan Albright, an IUP alumnus (‘12), currently serves as the associate athletic director for ticket sales and digital marketing for the Naval Academy. Prior to the Navy, Albright worked for IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions, where he was able to set the all-time new revenue record and season ticket record in one season for Penn State. Albright has also served as a ticket sales representative for the Houston Astros.
Austin Finochio: Director, Ticket Operations, Altoona Curve
Austin Finochio is entering his sixth season with the Altoona Curve and currently serves as director of ticket operations. Finochio began his career with the Curve in 2021 as a box office intern. As director of ticket operations, Finochio oversees all aspects of the front office ticketing system for all games and events held at PNG Field. Finochio also serves as a ticket sales representative, handling a variety of season ticket, mini-plan, and group accounts.
In 2024, Finochio was nominated for MiLB’s Future Star Award for top front office executives 25 and younger. Finochio is an IUP alumnus who was widely involved in the Sport Management Club and Kappa Sigma Fraternity and also held internships with the Kiski School and the YMCA of Indiana County during his time here at IUP.
Kaan Akbay: Senior Account Executive, Season Ticket Sales, Philadelphia Union
Kaan is a 2021 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he studied physical education/sports administration. He has worked within the local Indiana community, even beyond his graduation, as a high school lacrosse assistant coach. He currently serves as the senior account executive of season ticket sales for the Philadelphia Union professional soccer team and resides in Philadelphia.
Tina Nellis: Manager, People and Culture, Pittsburgh Pirates
Christina Nellis is entering her seventeenth season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nellis first began her career with the Pirates in 2010 as a guest relations intern, moving into her first full-time role in 2012 as the cleaning operations coordinator. In 2016, Nellis made the transition to the Human Resources Team, serving as the human resources specialist. She was most recently promoted to her current role of people and culture manager in 2024.
Nellis graduated with her bachelor’s degree from IUP in 2010 in sports administration, later earning her master’s in human resource management from Saint Francis University in 2023.
Wen-ching Chang, Associate Professor of Marketing and Digital Business Management, Providence University, Taiwan
Wen-Ching Chang is trained in organizational behavior and human resource management. Her work examines how social media use influences motivation, decision-making, and behavioral engagement in organizational and applied contexts.
She collaborates closely with colleagues and students on research that bridges theory and real-world practice. Chang is currently a Fulbright Program participant as a foreign language teaching assistant, bringing an international and interdisciplinary perspective to discussions on digital engagement and behavior.
Amanda Burroughs, General Manager, OMNI Bedford Springs Resort
Malloreigh Yingling, Director of Social Media, Penn State Athletics
