CoSIDA E-Digest April 2013 • 1

y Ann King
The Sage Colleges Sports Information
Director
CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
In life we are blessed to have
special people come into our lives.
For me that unique person is Rowan
University Sports Information Director
Sheila Stevenson, the 2013 recipient of
CoSIDA’s Warren Berg Award.
The Warren Berg Award is
presented annually to a CoSIDA
college division member who has made
outstanding contributions to the field of
sports communications, and who by his
or her activities, has brought dignity and
prestige to the profession.
When I first met Sheila I did not
realize at the time what a difference
she would make in my life both
professionally and personally. Many of
us have those unique people that we
work with that become more than just
a person in an office down the hall or
a colleague we enjoy getting to know
outside of work. For me, Sheila is that
person that has made a huge difference
for me beyond the walls of sports
information.
For me as a newcomer to the field
in the mid-1980’s, Sheila was the person
at the other end of the Garden State
who ran a sports communication office
that sizzled with efficiency, success and
organization. I dreamed that someday
I could run such a shop. As the years
passed and our teams played one
another more and more, I was lucky
enough to get to know the person
behind the success of then Glassboro
State College’s sports information office.
Not only did she know how to teach and
guide young student workers, but she
aided in the development and education
of the student newspaper and student
radio station workers she worked with so
often. She knew NCAA policies of how
to do championship press conferences,
what to do and what not to do. She
zoomed around her campus and the
various athletic venues with ease and
style! I watched. I listened. I learned and
I even asked questions.
Stevenson did not even realize that
she was a mentor for me, but she has
been all of these years! Her friendship is
one thing I treasure the most about her.
She never forgets a birthday or a special
WARREN BERG AWARD
Sheila Stevenson, Rowan
day for my family, but that is just the tip
of the iceberg when it comes to Sheila.
She does so much for her extended
family, the student-athletes and the staff
at now Rowan University. She is the best
role model and spokesperson for her
university and our profession with what
she does away from her desk. She has
been an advocate for so many needy
and important causes in her hometown.
Named the recipient of CoSIDA’s
Good Person Award (now the Bob
Kenworthy Community Service Award)
in 1996 and the ECAC Irving T. Marsh
Award in 1999, she has been a true
trendsetter in the sports information
profession. Stevenson has always
remained active in the profession, be
it serving on the CoSIDA’s Special
Awards Committee, serving as President
(1989-90) of the Eastern College
Athletic Conference-Sports Information
Directors Association and as a workshop
host, working as a member of the
Division III Hewlett Packard All-America
Football selection committee, Rowan
University’s Hall of Fame Committee,
the Rowan University All-College
Athletic Committee, and countless other
committee service organizations. Sheila
has been exemplary in her devotion to
the betterment of sports information.
She is not a person that likes
attention turned in her direction. Sheila
strives to make a difference for others
and wants little fanfare or attention for
CoSIDA E-Digest April 2013 • 56
her efforts.
Dan O’Connell, Director of
Athletic Communications at Towson
University said, “In more than 30 years
in the field of sports information, I have
known some amazing people who are
dedicated to this profession. Sheila
Stevenson is one of the most amazing
people I’ve known.”
“It’s doubtful that many SID’s know
Sheila and that’s just the way she wants
it,” O’Connell said. “Sheila is one of
those SID’s who doesn’t want to receive
any attention for doing her job well. She
wants no thanks and no recognition. In
fact, most of the time, she would prefer
someone else receive the credit.”
Tony Lisa, Head Swimming Coach
at Rowan University had this to say
about working with Stevenson.
“I have known Sheila and witnessed
her great work for over 20 years. She
goes above and beyond the call of duty
in her job each and every day. She has
high standards and doesn’t just try to
meet them. She strives to exceed those
standards.”
Lisa added, “In a cramped and
understaffed office, Sheila has made
our athletes look good and get the
recognition that they deserve. She
has garnered awards for our athletes
when we didn’t even know that those
awards existed. Sheila has done more
with less than can be imagined. Her
creativity, planning and attention to
detail are amazing. Not only is Sheila a
great Sports Information Director, she
is a wonderful woman. She volunteers
for any activity that helps others. She
has been instrumental in a holiday gift
drive through her church, a clothing
drive, and more. Sheila is a shy, private
woman who is always looking to help
others. She is a great individual who
has brought honor and respect to our
institution.”
Stevenson began her outstanding
career as a student assistant at
Rochester Institute of Technology and
was a member of the women’s ice
hockey team. She graduated with a
bachelor of science degree in printing
technology.
In writing about my dear friend for
this most deserving CoSIDA Award, I
was blessed to learn about a side of her
I never knew about.
alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame for