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, an IUP alumna ('11), began her career working in marketing and channel management, including email, direct mail, and social media, at Paul Fredrick and Black Lapel. 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 Sporting Goods for over five years and currently leads the athlete engagement and service functions. Previously at Dick's, she was the Senior Program Manager of Athlete Engagement from 2020-2021, then moved into the Director role in June of 2021. She stepped into her current role in April 2022. In this current role, Kelly leads all customer service operations, analytics and strategy for all Dick's Sporting Goods brands, manages cross functional customer experience improvements based on data analysis, informs all athlete engagement analytics to create program strategies, and implements new technology in partnership with the product teams to create customer intelligence network.
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 (NIL) deals to future sports professionals. Since 2013, he has built his law practice, Guminski, PC, with a focus on the legal aspects that athletes may encounter outside of their careers, such as real estate, start up business organizations/nonprofits, divorce, property protection, defamation litigation and criminal defense. Guminski is an alumnus of The University of Pittsburgh ('08), where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Philosophy. He then went on to earn his J.D., Civil Litigation Certificate from The University of Pittsburgh School of Law ('12).
Michael McCormick began his career in the golf industry at age 11 where he began caddying at a local private club and discovered his passion for the game of golf. At age 14 McCormick began working at Stow Acres Country Club, landing a role on the Grounds Maintenance team.
In 2009, McCormick graduated from The Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he obtained his Associates Degree in Turf Grass Management. He then went on to obtain his Bachelor's degree from UMass Amherst's Plant, Soil, and Insect Program ('11). McCormick completed internships at The International Golf Club in Bolton, MA, Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY, and Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA. Upon graduation, McCormick accepted a full-time grounds maintenance role with Oakmont, working up the ranks to a 1st Assistant Superintendent role.
In 2016 Michael accepted a role as Head Golf Course Superintendent at The Apawamis Club in Rye, NY, where he successfully planned and executed a full master plan golf course renovation, construction of a new pump station, and the installation of a new irrigation system.
In 2022, McCormick accepted his dream job as the Grounds Superintendent at Oakmont Country Club. McCormick oversaw the execution of a comprehensive restoration program led by famed Golf Course Architect, Gil Hanse. McCormick also oversaw the execution of a major practice facility upgrade in 2024. In 2025, Oakmont hosted the 125th U.S. Open Championship, where McCormick led a team of roughly 250 grounds workers and volunteers.
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.
Siskovic is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sport Industry with a minor in Business. He then went on to earn his MBA from Syracuse University, where he also spent 4 years working within the Ticket Sales Department. Siskovic also worked as an Inside Sales Representative for the Cleveland Browns.
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.
Jordan Albright: Associate A.D./Ticket Sales and Digital Marketing, Naval Academy
Jordan Albright, an IUP alumnus (‘12), has served as the Associate Athletic Director for Ticket Sales and Digital Marketing for the Naval Academy since 2024. Albright began in the Naval Academy in March 2016 as an Account Executive, then moved into the Director of Ticket Sales role in 2019. In 2022, he took on the Assistant Athletic Director role before moving into his current role. Prior to 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 ('21) 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 Akbay, IUP alumnus (’21), is in his fifth season with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer, where he serves as a senior account executive of season ticket sales. He began his career at Indiana Area High School as an assistant coach for boys’ lacrosse and as the compliance intern with IUP Athletics.
After completing his degree, Akbay joined the Philadelphia Union as an inside sales representative. He quickly made an impact by breaking the department’s inside sales revenue record. He was later promoted to account executive of season ticket sales. Akbay also spent time in the Fan Services Department, where he strengthened his skills in client relationships and customer experience.
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.
Matt Reinsel joined the University of Akron Athletic Department in July 2025 as the associate director of compliance. Prior to arriving at Akron, Reinsel spent two years at the University of Pittsburgh in the compliance office. He was the main point of contact for eligibility responsibilities and a secondary contact for financial aid for all incoming freshmen, transfers, and graduate students, including continuing Pitt student-athletes.
Prior to Pitt, Reinsel worked at Stony Brook University, Grand Canyon University, and Saint Peter’s University. While at Stony Brook, he managed all day-to-day operations for the Office of Athletics Compliance. Also during his time there, Reinsel was able to successfully retool and rebuild the entire Office of Athletics Compliance to establish a vast rules educational program; revamped all eligibility processes; implemented monitoring procedures under the recruiting and playing/practice season bylaws; and finally implemented a department-wide partnership with Teamworks, INFLCR, and ARMS Software to become fully operational. While at Grand Canyon, he managed all processes for bylaws and the internal/external rules educational programming. While at Saint Peter’s, he was tasked with the oversight of all bylaws to improve efficiency in the compliance office.
Reinsel is a 2014 graduate of IUP and a 2016 graduate of St. John’s University (NY). He has earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport administration with minors in business and international marketing.
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.