Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to Campus Rec Magazine, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest D.J. Preston, the director of Recreation and Wellness at Radford University.

Preston shares how an injury while playing football eventually led him to campus rec and the career he now pursues. He speaks on his time at Texas State, how he came to see campus rec as a career and a call that he got from Ali Cross that changed his life.

He also shares on moving from a sports club coordinator to a senior associate director, and how he became a director after applying for it again, having turned down the job offer the first time.

Sheffield also has Preston discuss leading through culture change, avoiding burnout and the biggest surprise of being a director.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to Campus Rec Magazine, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Steve Thompson, the director of Campus Recreation at the University of Montana.

Thompson is an outdoors guy at heart. With a plethora of experience guiding trips and outdoor jobs, he eventually found himself in Texas, pursuing a career in campus recreation at Sam Houston State University.

He gained experience, took trips around the world and realized the outdoor gig just didn’t fit with having a two-year-old at home. Transitioning from outdoors programming to an associate director role proved challenging. As such, he looked for other opportunities and ended up at the University of Montana.

Having been there since, he shares what Montana has to offer, how his previous experiences outside of campus rec have made him a better leader and what he loves most about his job. Plus, he gives advice to other directors in the field.

Enjoy the conversation between Sheffield and Thompson.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Jen Gudaz, the senior associate director of Athletics and the director of Physical Education and Recreation at Cornell University.

Growing up on the West Coast, Gudaz learned much from her experiences there, becoming a jack of all trades. Moving east, she began her work at Cornell and hasn’t looked back since.

Gudaz shares on the Physical Education and Recreation programs at Cornell and all they offer. In terms of leadership, over the years she’s learned not only how to lead from a place of compassion but also about what makes her a successful leader.

She wears many hats, but the most surprising one deals with a sorority — you’ll have to listen to find out. Plus, Gudaz shares what her biggest challenge is right now, how she deals with her own mental well-being, and whether or not she’s a rebel.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Rob Simels, the associate director of Student Life and Recreation and Wellness at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

Simels dives into what inspired him to get into campus recreation and the first director role he had. Through the years, he’s found himself gaining experience from smaller schools, juggling being a new parent and the opening of a facility, and starting a program at TCNJ that is his pride and joy.

Finally, at the end of the conversation, Simels shares some big news as to what lies ahead for him. As you listen, note the changes that have impacted him and how to apply the two pieces of advice he shares for aspiring directors.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Kirsten Schumacher, the director of University Recreation (UREC) at Seattle University.

During the conversation that follows, Schumacher tells how she got involved in campus recreation and the path that took her to Seattle University where she is today. She shares about a few big leadership changes that happened right before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, she dives into the effects the pandemic had on UREC as well as the celebration that took place in their reopening.

Schumacher also reveals some unusual programming that’s apart of UREC — including intramural baking and Movement for Healing. Finally, Sheffield asks the question, “What brings you joy as a director?”

Listen to their conversation for her answer.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Mary O’Mahoney, the director of the Student Recreation Center at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB).

Originally from Illinois, O’Mahoney found herself venturing further and further West over the years, finally landing at CSUB where she has been the director ever since. She chats about her journey and what sold her on moving to Bakersfield — and how she convinced other staff to move across the nation to join her.

O’Mahoney shares about the bike offerings at CSUB as well as the impact that COVID-19 had on her both personally and professionally. In addition, she addresses turnover, navigating campus politics and the lack of desire for working far from home professionals have nowadays.

Finally, learn one thing O’Mahoney wishes she had known prior to becoming a director. Enjoy!

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Marcus Jackson, the director of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Jackson has been in higher ed for quite some time, but not all of it has been spent in campus recreation. He and Sheffield discuss this and the takeaways that have come from outside-the-industry experience.

Further on in the conversation, Jackson shares on the team at Illinois and what makes them standout. He also pulls back the curtain on imposter syndrome, owning your vulnerability as a leader and what makes him thrive in his role as the director of Campus Recreation.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of campus recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest David Davenport, the director at Austin Peay State University (APSU).

With almost 30 years in the field, Davenport has seen and experienced a lot. He shares about his journey into campus recreation and finding his place at APSU.

Plus, Davenport dives into his time as the NIRSA president. Leading through COVID-19, George Floyd and more was challenging. He gets real and shares how that time impacted his experience as a director.

Finally, Davenport shares about his experience at the Campus Rec Leadership Summit and advice to directors who are looking to continue to grow.

Enjoy the discussion that follows.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of campus recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest George Brown, the assistant vice provost and the director of University Recreation and Wellness at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

As they chat, Brown shares how he found his way from Trinity University to Minnesota where he resides today. Through the years he’s learned the impact of campus rec is more profound than the campus community itself.

Brown also shares on the tornado that hit in 2011 and campus rec’s role in shifting to serve the community by becoming a shelter. He also dives into how his team has bought into the purpose-driven experience. Finally, Brown shares the things he thinks aspiring assistant directors who want to get to the director level need to know.

And if you’re wondering what’s next for Brown, and how humility is the key to it all, tune into the conversation that follows.

Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.

It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.

In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of campus recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Laurie Braden, the executive director of University Recreation a Louisiana State University (LSU).

With 30-plus years under her belt in the industry, Braden has found herself learning along the way. Whether it’s the challenge that was the COVID-19 pandemic, to the things she wouldn’t do differently, Braden gets vulnerable in sharing her takeaways.

Plus, she goes into detail about the program Research in the Rec and how the “every campus is a park” mentality is changing the way UREC does things. All in all, the department is driven by service and the word “play” which Braden talks about in-depth.

As you listen to the following conversation, get involved yourself. Ask what you can take away from it to apply to your leadership, department and more today.