Why not dream the impossible? – Dr. Jeff Porter
Dr. Jeff Porter is a New Jersey native and currently serves as the Director of Alumni Engagement and Premium Seating Associate for Michigan Athletics.
Dr. Jeff Porter is a New Jersey native and currently serves as the Director of Alumni Engagement and Premium Seating Associate for Michigan Athletics. He is responsible for managing athletic department alumni events, communications, and programs available for the student-athlete alums. This information is used by the entire department to target specific segments of alumni for reunions, donation requests, and other engagement opportunities. Dr. Porter is responsible for generating $4.5 to $5 million from the Premium Suite Program at Michigan Stadium.
Dr. Porter completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology in 2007 at the University of Michigan. He went on to complete his Master of Arts degree in Higher Education with a focus in Student-Affairs in 2011 and his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in 2017 at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Porter’s research focused on student-athlete development and revised a framework geared toward student-athlete academic success. This framework is now being implemented within Michigan Athletics.
A former student-athlete himself, Dr. Porter was the 2007 NCAA Champion in the 60m hurdles, a 3-time NCAA All-American, 3-time Big Ten Champion and the recipient of the 2007 Big Ten Medal of Honor. He competed in both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, becoming one of the few Americans in history to qualify for two consecutive Olympic Games in the men’s 110m hurdles.
In addition to his work at Michigan Athletics, Jeff currently serves as the Chairman of the Athletes Advisory Committee for United States of America Track & Field (USATF) and as a member on the Board of Directors. During his previous term as Vice-Chair and current term as Chair, Jeff let the orchestration of a revenue distribution plan between the elite athletes and the USATF leadership that is distributing $9 million over a period of 5 years to the elite athletes who represent Team USA. Jeff is also working with the CEO of USATF to develop opportunities to further develop the sport of track and field in the United States leading up to the 2021 World Championships and the 2028 LA Olympic Games, both of which are to be held on U.S. soil. With the understanding that “made-for-tv” events are critical components in the longevity and sustainability of Olympic Sports, Dr. Porter is actively creating a series of competitions designed to increase the media presence of track and field. Dr. Porter continues to work to solidify a group licensing deal for USATF athletes, which has never been done before in the sport.
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Dr. Jeff Porter had the honor of shaking President Barack Obama’s hand when Team USA visited the White House after the 2016 Rio Games.