ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Chelsea Pitvorec, formerly of Assumption College, and Clayton Jones, formerly of University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M., have been named as Assistant Communications Director for The University of New Mexico Lobos. In addition, Chelsey Chamberlain has been promoted to Associate Communications Director.
“It’s exciting to have Chelsea and Clayton join our team at The University of New Mexico,” said Assistant A.D. for Communications Frank Mercogliano. “Both Chelsea and Clayton have great New Mexico ties, with her stepmom stationed at Kirtland Air Force base, and Clayton having been a longtime resident in Hobbs.”
“I’m really excited for Chelsey Chamberlain as well. When we transitioned last year, she worked a little bit with men’s basketball and Coach Neal was impressed by her professionalism and level of detail. She will be a great addition to that program.”
Pitvorec spent the last two years at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she handled publicity for 11 programs out of the 24 offered. She served as a secondary contact for the other 13 sports, including football. With the Greyhounds, she also directed a marketing team of six interns and four full-time staff members, and she handled video and graphics.
Prior to Division II Assumption, she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with Central Connecticut State, earning a Master’s in communications. She has also spent time at Ohio University. She has worked in the private sector for the Escambia County Public Relations Office and with Comedy Central/Spike TV. She earned her Bachelor’s from the University of West Florida in 2010.
Jones spent the past several months at the University of the Southwest, but he got his start with Dodge City Community College in Kansas, where he handled publicity for all 16 DCCC sports. In his short tenure with DCCC, he served on several committees, helped increase website views by more than 80 percent and helped double the department’s Twitter followers.
Jones is best known around New Mexico, however, as the former Sports Editor of the Hobbs News-Sun from 2006-15. The Hobbs News-Sun won the New Mexico Press Association’s Best Sports Coverage award in each of his final three years at the paper. He also spent eight years in the Army – two active duty and six in the National Guard, including the last several years in public affairs as a sergeant at the Oregon National Guard Headquarters.
He graduated with a Bachelor’s in journalism from Oregon in 2005.
With the new hires, sport assignments have been shuffled around. Chamberlain, who was previously with women’s basketball and softball, will retain softball and move to men’s basketball. She becomes the first female to head publicity efforts for UNM basketball in the university.
Chelsea Pitvorec will replace Chamberlain and handle women’s basketball along with men’s soccer. Jones will handle women’s soccer, swimming and diving and baseball. Assistant A.D. Frank Mercogliano will remain with football and skiing, and Assistant Director Mike Mulcahy will remain with cross country, track and field and the volleyball program.
UNM Athletic Communications Announces Staff Changes
