Mary Ellen Gillespie

Education

MA, SUNY-Plattsburgh

BA, SUNY-Plattsburgh

Mary Ellen Gillespie was named the seventh Director of Athletics in University of Hartford history on May 23, 2017. She began her tenure at the helm of Hartford Athletics on July 10.

Gillespie came to the University of Hartford after a successful four-year term as the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Under her guidance, the department saw strong growth in both leadership and revenue generation. Academic success and student-athlete development flourished during her time at UWGB, while the department achieved outstanding accomplishments in the competitive arena.

At Green Bay, Gillespie is credited with improving the culture of Green Bay Athletics, bringing in eight new head coaches and six new senior staff members, including Linc Darner to lead the Phoenix men's basketball program.

Additionally, Green Bay Athletics saw significant increases in revenue. Gillespie led a campaign to raise $4 million for upgrades to the outdoor soccer facility while there was a 40 percent increase in annual giving during her tenure. A restructure of Green Bay's Student-Athlete Academic Services area led to an improved and record-high student-athlete GPA of 3.30 and a graduation success rate of 96 percent.

Under Gillespie’s direction, Green Bay earned 11 conference championships. Most notably, the Phoenix earned its first NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament appearance since 1996 with a Horizon League Championship in 2016. Women's basketball also earned three NCAA Tournament appearances and one WNIT bid in her four years.

As a member of the NCAA's Division I women's basketball committee and the Division I-AAA Board of Directors, Gillespie is a widely recognized leader throughout the NCAA.

The native of Sayville, N.Y., came to Green Bay after seven years at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where she ascended to the title of Associate Athletics Director for External Relations.

With the Falcons, Gillespie oversaw an external relations staff of 30 and a budget of $7 million with primary responsibility for image and revenue, including fundraising, marketing, promotions, game-day atmosphere, corporate sponsorships, ticket operations, rights fees, licensing, concessions, merchandising and athletics communications. She managed the fundraising campaign to build the $36 million Stroh Center on campus and helped achieve a 300 percent increase in annual giving to Falcon Athletics.

Gillespie was previously Director of Development for Purdue University's Schools of Nursing and Health Sciences. She was vice president of advancement for the North American Interfraternity Conference, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. This followed experience as an Assistant Director of Student Life at the University of Iowa and as a coordinator of Greek affairs in the office of the dean of students at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Gillespie holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication and a master's in counseling-student affairs practice from SUNY-Plattsburgh. She also has a certificate in fundraising management from the Indiana University Fund Raising School.