April 5, 2006
ORLANDO - UCF Director of Athletics Steve Orsini announced Wednesday that UCF's Director of Compliance, Jessica Reo, has been promoted to assistant athletics director for compliance and has been named the athletics department's senior woman administrator (SWA).
Orsini also announced that Rob Mathner, who formerly served as assistant athletics director for compliance, will retain an assistant athletics director title and his position within the senior management team, but will be focusing on new challenges to help the department reach its potential.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for professional development for both Rob and Jessica," Orsini said. "Rob has done a tremendous job with our compliance office the past several years and will now experience some new responsibilities within the department. He is leaving our compliance office in good hands with Jessica. Likewise, Mary Kaufman left a legacy for Jessica to follow as our senior woman administrator and this role will help her grow personally and professionally."
Long-time athletics administrator Mary Kaufman, who passed away March 27, had served as UCF's Senior Woman Administrator since 1991. She was making plans to retire from UCF this summer and was grooming Reo to take over SWA duties at that time.
"I'm excited about being given this opportunity," Reo said. "I'm filling very large shoes in the absence of Mary Kaufman, who served admirably as an advocate for UCF's women's sports. She always took a personal interest in helping me grow professionally and was very supportive of me moving into this role when she retired."
The role of SWA is an important one in college athletics, especially in the governance structure of Conference USA. In that role, Reo will represent UCF in conference dealings pertaining to scheduling, championships and legislation. Reo will also serve as UCF's liaison for gender equity and Title IX issues.
Reo has worked in the athletics compliance office at UCF since 2003. Prior to coming to UCF, she spent seven years at the University of Miami. There she served as a compliance coordinator for rules education and documentation for three years and spent four years as a compliance coordinator for athletic services.
Reo graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from Florida State University in 1993. During her undergraduate years she worked in the Seminoles' Sports Information Office and then completed a media relations internship with the Atlantic Coast Conference office after graduation. She spent two years as an assistant sports information director at Clemson University before taking a job in compliance at Miami.