Richard Wanninger
Associate Executive Director for External Relations

Richard Wanninger Associate Executive Director for External Relations

Wanninger was promoted to Associate Executive Director for External Relations during the summer of 2006 after joining the Patriot League as an Assistant Executive Director in August 2005. He is responsible for the oversight of the Patriot League Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, as well as the League's television and broadband packages, marketing and sponsorship initiatives, and the overall promotion of the League.

Wanninger came to Center Valley, Pa., after four years at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency where he served as Director of Communications and Public Affairs. While at USADA, he developed and implemented communications and public affairs plans and managed editorial content for publications and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency website.

Other experiences in Colorado Springs included holding the post of Communications Director for USA Cycling (1998-2000) and working at the U.S. Olympic Committee. A veteran of six Olympic Games and numerous other major international and national championship events, Wanninger has an extensive background in the fields of communications, marketing, and event and press operations. Wanninger managed the Main Press Center at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and was the Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Olympic Festival-'95, which was held in Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.

He also worked at USA Volleyball for three years as the Director of Communications and got his start in intercollegiate athletics as an Assistant Sports Information Director at Arizona State in 1985, spending six years in Tempe, Ariz.

Wanninger received his Master's Degree from the University of Colorado in Public Administration after earning his undergraduate degree in journalism from ASU. In 2006, he completed the executive management program at the Sports Management Institute, which provides specialized executive management programs for sports management professionals.

A member of NACMA and CoSIDA, Wanninger and his wife, Kim, have two sons - Nicholas and Nathan. He is also a member of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Executive Committee.