WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth University will soon be holding a panel session regarding sports communication and leadership entitled “MOCC Talks”! The event, sponsored by the Monmouth Oral Communications Center (MOCC), is scheduled for March 12, on the third floor of the Varsity Club in the MAC. It will begin around 8:30 a.m. and run until 11 a.m. The event is free for all Monmouth students.
The event will feature five panelists — Don Povia, Mike Schwab, Suzanne Schwab, Thomas Greene and Matt Harmon, who will discuss what it takes to be successful in the sports world. The event is a great opportunity for students to meet professionals within the industry and provide networking opportunities. Anyone who attends will be able to learn about public relations in the sports world, sports reporting, and the biggest stories currently headlining the sports world. This panel will also provide attendees with a behind the scenes look at the always-dynamic sports industry.
The panelists are expected to provide ‘insider,’ expert observations about the industry. Don Povia is the Director for Sports and Entertainment for Carrot Creative, which is a social media group based out of Brooklyn, N.Y. he is also the founder of HHR Media Group in Trenton, N.J. Povia has also done consulting work, some of which includes with high profile athletes. His extensive background is sure to provide knowledge for people looking to learn more about the media environment in the sports business.
Mike Schwab, who has been long tenured at ESPN, will also join the panel. He works as a Director for the sports giant, and will be a great role model for students engaged in television careers. Schwab has directed various events, from the X-Games to the World Cup.
Suzanne Schwab will serve on the panel, too. She has experience as a public relations professor at Kean University and in programming, broadcasting and media coordinating for the NBA. She also was apart of a committee that helped form the WNBA and NBA special events. Her background will be useful for those interested in working behind the scenes.
Thomas Greene is the fourth member of the panel. He is a Wire Copy Editor and Page Designer for Gannett’s Asbury Park Design Studio. He helps design and edit wire content for various newspapers locally and nationally. He also used to be a Reporter for the Asbury Park Press, which should be very useful for students looking to enter the field of journalism.
Last up on the panel is Monmouth University’s own Matt Harmon. A Professor of Sports Communication, Harmon also is the Play-by Play Announcer for the University’s football team and basketball Color Analyst. The reigning New Jersey Sports Caster of the Year is sure to provide expertise for aspiring broadcasters and other sports communication students.
Monmouth University student, Neil Demarco, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, saying, “Getting a chance to hear these successful professionals speak about their careers is an opportunity that will give me perspective on how I should prepare myself for the working world.”
MOCC Talks is the first of many panels that the organization will be looking to hold in order to provide expertise for aspiring students. The networking opportunities and free admission could be attractive to students with sports industry dreams.
Be sure to attend; and if you do, comment below on how you believe it went!
