The Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at the Isenberg School of Management is proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award as Declan Bolger (MS ’89), Noreen Morris (MS ’91), Cindy Stutman (BS ’98), and Scott Zuffelato (MS ’87). Since 1993, the Department of Sport Management has awarded the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award in honor of Dr. VanderZwaag’s unwavering dedication and commitment to the Department. The award is given to alumni who display professional excellence, outstanding achievement in the sports industry, and dedication to the McCormack Department of Sport Management.
The 2019 McCormack Annual Award Banquet will take place on Monday, April 1st at 5:30 p.m. in the Marriott Center, the 11th floor of the UMass Campus Center.
Declan J. Bolger is currently senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE). Prior to joining KSE, Declan served as vice president of club services for Major League Soccer. He has held numerous roles in the world of professional team sports, including chief marketing officer for the Portland Trail Blazers and senior vice president for the Washington Capitals. As vice president of marketing for the Florida Panthers, he was a member of the team that successfully launched the NHL in South Florida. After completing his graduate studies at McCormack, he started his pro sports career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Declan received his undergraduate degree from St. Mary's College, University of London.
Noreen Morris has served as the Commissioner of the Northeast Conference (NEC) since January 2010. Prior to coming to the NEC, she spent five years at Northwestern University as senior associate athletics director, eight years at Conference USA as associate commissioner, and four years as compliance coordinator at the University of Connecticut. During her career, Noreen has been very active at the national level, serving on numerous NCAA committees, including the Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Committee, Playing Rules Oversight Panel, Division I Leadership Council, Gender Equity Task Force, Division I Council, and Division I Nominating Committee. She earned her BS at Cornell University, where she played four years on the women’s soccer team.
Cindy Stutman joined Comcast Spectacor in 1999 and has served in a variety of roles for the company. In her current position, she oversees the Philadelphia Flyers ticketing, customer service, marketing, and game presentation teams, providing strategic leadership to ensure optimal performance from the team’s business departments. She has also led the evolution of the team’s ticket technology initiatives. Cindy is the executive sponsor of the company’s women’s network as well as a founding member of NHL Clubs WIN (Women’s Impact Network). She is a 2018 alumna of Leadership Philadelphia and was the 2018 Comcast Spectacor Excellence Leadership Award winner. She also serves on the board of Flyers Charities.
Scott Zuffelato has been a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s senior management team since June 1999, serving in several fundraising roles. He is currently vice president of philanthropy, overseeing the Hall of Fame’s $30 million capital campaign. Scott received his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College, and his first job in athletics administration was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, working in marketing and promotions. He moved on to direct marketing and corporate partnerships at the University of Connecticut and in August 1998, joined Host Communications to manage their Boston College property. Scott was actively involved with the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), serving as its president for two years; he was subsequently elected to the NACMA Hall of Fame in June 1999.