Defiance College welcomes new Events Manager Chris Lewis

July 23, 2013

 

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Chris Lewis has joined the Defiance College staff in a newly-created position as director of facilities marketing and events management. He will be promoting and managing college facility usage for both athletic and non-athletic events and will work closely with the community to market facilities to non-campus users.

“Defiance College has some wonderful facilities and we want to make sure that they are available to the community as much as possible,” said DC president Mark C. Gordon. “Over the past several years, we have built the George M. Smart Athletic Center, installed turf on the football field, completely renovated the E. Stevens Dix Tennis Facility outside, installed new bleachers, upgraded dormitory facilities, and enhanced campus-wide services.

“More and more regional and local athletic teams, corporations, families, community organizations, and members of the public are using Defiance College facilities for a wide range of events, from sports to weddings, from high school camps to corporate meetings. We want to make sure that we are providing the best service for those who choose to take advantage of our facilities, and we also want to enhance our marketing of these facilities. We are very pleased that we were able to attract someone of the caliber of Chris Lewis to lead this effort.”

Lewis most recently served as Director of Athletics/Competition for the Special Olympics New York. Previously he served as Senior Manager of Community Relations and Youth Football for the Buffalo Bills, Community Relations Assistant for the Cleveland Browns, and as a Marketing and Contract Specialist for the Lorain County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

He holds a master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University and earned a bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace University where he majored in sports management and business administration.

“I am thrilled to be joining the DC family,” said Lewis, who will be joined in Defiance by his wife, Brooke (an early children educator with special expertise working with the visually impaired) and their four young children. “Defiance College has great facilities, and I am eager to reach out to members of the community to bring as many of them on campus as possible and to provide them with excellent service for their events and functions.” Lewis can be reached at 419-783-2401 or clewis@defiance.edu.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.