VanRyn to Join the Empire 8 Conference as Associate Commissioner
Empire 8 Conference Commissioner Chuck Mitrano announced the hiring of Jacob VanRyn as the Associate Commissioner on Thursday. VanRyn will officially begin on October 1st and he comes to the Empire 8 after spending the last eight years at the Northeast-10 Conference (NCAA Division II) in Mansfield, Mass.
“We are ecstatic to welcome Jacob VanRyn to the Empire 8 Family. Jacob’s been doing the job with outstanding results at one of the premiere Division II conferences in the country,” said Mitrano. “His exceptional marketing acumen, passion to enhance the experience for student-athletes and proven ability to forge strong relationships with everyone he works with will greatly enhance the Empire 8.”
As Associate Commissioner, VanRyn’s responsibilities will include handling the E8’s public relations, social media platforms, marketing initiatives and all aspects of the conference’s sports information department. He will oversee the E8’s nationally renowned Conduct Foul Program; serve as Director of E8 Sport Committees; be the lead administrator for E8 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Sports Information Committee; serve as Director of the annual Empire 8 Student-Athlete Summit and manage various conference championships.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the Empire 8 Conference as the league's Associate Commissioner. I'm extremely excited to support the membership, and most importantly, do everything I can to enhance the experience of the conference's outstanding student-athletes,” said VanRyn. “I’d like to thank Commissioner Chuck Mitrano and the entire search committee for this opportunity. I can't wait to get started."
VanRyn was most recently the NE10’s Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the promotion of the 15-member, 24-sport Division II athletic conference. He coordinated and managed the conference website (Northeast10.org) and managed all social media avenues promoting the conference, its teams, and the student-athletes.
Highlights of his time spent at the NE10 included overseeing the conference’s extensive 16-month rebranding project, culminating in the ‘NE10 Embrace’ campaign. He also led the implementation and execution of a conference-wide digital network with an anticipated rollout date of November 2018. He redesigned the conference website and led the social media accounts which were among the national leaders in followers, growth rate, and engagement.
VanRyn also served as the Associate Commissioner for Sports Administration & Championships at the NE10 from 2013-2015. His duties included being the primary administrator for sports governance and schedules for the conference. He also managed and worked with membership to execute all championship events, while overseeing numerous governing committees; the Committee on Sport Administration and all sports committees.
He is currently serving on the NCAA Division II National Baseball Committee and has served on multiple NCAA Division II Regional Advisory Committees since 2012. VanRyn is also currently the President of the NCAA Division II Conference Information Directors.
Prior to joining the NE10, he spent time as the marketing and client services manager for the West Point Thoroughbreds (2008-2010) and was the facilities, marketing and programming director at The College of Saint Rose (2001-2008).
VanRyn graduated from Colgate University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in education & sociology. He went on to earn his master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 2001.
VanRyn’s other responsibilities at the Empire 8 will include managing the conference awards program, serve as the NCAA Division III Identity Initiative liaison, oversee the conference NCAA grant program and assist the commissioner for all conference meetings and projects.
The Empire 8 is comprised of Alfred University (NY), Elmira College (NY), Hartwick College (NY), Houghton College (NY), Nazareth College (NY), St. John Fisher College (NY), The Sage Colleges (NY), Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ), and Utica College (NY). Empire 8 sponsors 23 sports and includes eight affiliate members.
VanRyn currently resides in Mansfield, MA with his wife Amy and son Kace.