March 17, 2010

1.) Name: Frank M. Cuervo

2.) Current Position & Employer: Southeast Missouri State University; Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs

3.) Number of years in current position:
3 months at Southeast Missouri; 15 years in college athletics

4.) Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in college athletics?
Early in my college career I realized that you could marry the pursuits of college athletics and business. That was an excellent fit for my strengths and personality and I have been in this business ever since.

5.) What was your path to working in collegiate marketing?
Early on in my undergraduate career at the University of Florida, I saw people on the field at a football game hustling to execute a promotion and wondered how they arrived at that point. I did some investigating and began volunteering in the Florida athletics program for about two years and was involved in a variety of areas including marketing, ticketing and media relations. That initial experience really served as the springboard for my career.

6.) Who do you consider to be your role model in this industry?
I have been fortunate to work for and meet a number of outstanding professionals in this industry. If I had to identify three people that have had an impact on my career and influenced my professional philosophy I would say first and foremost is my boss for about six years at Mizzou, Director of Athletics Mike Alden. I feel I was a good professional in the field when I arrived at Missouri, but left ten times stronger as a result of working for and with him. The Director of Athletics at my alma mater, Jeremy Foley, is so impressive because his program is a winner in every aspect of the operation- in the classroom, in the community and in competition- I may be biased, but the Gators are truly an elite program. Finally, I have great admiration for one of my first bosses at Ohio State, Andy Geiger. He led programs that produced championship results in so many areas and conferences (Brown, Stanford, Maryland, and Ohio State). The ability to adapt to so many different environments is truly impressive.

8.) How important do you feel your involvement is with NACMA in terms of continuing to grow your career?
I have been active in NACMA for over 12 years now and it has been one of the best organizations I have aligned with. The opportunity to exchange ideas with the best and the brightest in this business as well as the chance to connect and establish relationships with these top professionals cannot be underestimated. I would recommend NACMA membership to any aspiring professional in the industry.

9.) What is your favorite memory from your job, or project you are most proud of?
From a competition standpoint, Mizzou’s run to the Elite Eight of the 2002 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament ranks among my top memories because it was so unexpected. Administratively, being a part of the team that opened Mizzou Arena, the $75 million on campus basketball facility at the University of Missouri, was a once in a lifetime experience. Every member of that team is very proud of the project and enjoyed the process to arrive at the finish line.

10.) Were you ever involved in a marketing “blunder”? If so, please explain.
Invariably, mistakes are going to happen. The challenge, of course, is to minimize them and take action to make sure the same errors are not repeated. When working with my staff, I tell them not to be afraid of failure. I would rather have someone make a mistake going 100 miles per hour and commit an error of commission, rather than sit back and not take action, thus in my mind, committing an error of omission.

11.) Who has been your favorite coach to work with? (either present or past job)
I have been fortunate to work with a number of top coaches in this business. I admire Gary Pinkel’s (head football coach at Missouri) professionalism and attention to detail. I have appreciated the friendship and loyalty of Kelvin Sampson (former Oklahoma & Indiana head basketball coach). The willingness of Dickey Nutt (head basketball coach at Southeast Missouri) to go anywhere and do anything to help rebuild the Redhawk Basketball program makes all our jobs more enjoyable. Those are just a few examples of the dozens of high-quality head coaches I have had the pleasure of working with.

12.) What do you feel is the most important quality for those early in the profession to posses?
To win and be successful in this business, you have to have passion and energy for what you do and bring it to your work every day. I believe you can make up for any other shortcoming, but if you do not have passion and energy, no matter how smart or creative you are, you will always fall short.

13.) What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
In Jack Welch’s (former General Electric CEO) second book Winning, there is a chapter on candor that I think should be required reading before you can enter this business. College Athletics is a results driven business- in the board room or on the fields of competition- and in order to achieve at the highest levels, you have to be honest and candid with each other so that you can take full advantage of opportunities and address issues. Candor is a lost art in the workplace that could stand to make a comeback!

14.) What advice would you give to those who are looking to venture into the field of collegiate athletics marketing?
Early on in a career, I think it is critical to gain as many experiences as possible. Work in different areas of the business and find out what you have a passion for. Oftentimes there are one hundred or more applicants for internship or entry level positions. It’s important to have a degree and the academic background, but those who have distinguished themselves by gaining practical experience are the ones who will be most successful.

15.) In your opinion, where is collegiate athletics marketing headed in the future?
It’s no secret that the ability to generate revenue has become paramount in this business. Those who prove they have the ability to do so will create tremendous job security for themselves and be an asset for their organization.

16.) Who are the people who have influenced you the most?
Personally, our very good family friends Dr. Steve & Barb Landay of Gainesville, FL have had a profound impact on my life. They are like second parents to me. Professionally, my two bosses at Mizzou, Director of Athletics Mike Alden and Senior Associate AD Mario Moccia (now the AD at Southern Illinois) have helped guide me to develop my own personal thoughts and philosophies on the industry, with a great deal of their influence mixed in.

17.) How would you describe your typical work week?
In this industry, I do not believe there is such a thing as a typical day or week at the office. The way I try to approach things is before acting on a certain situation, I ask myself three questions… 1. Will acting be to the benefit of our student-athletes, coaches, sport programs and the institution? 2. Will it generate incremental revenue for the program? And 3. Will it help us win and be successful? If you can answer YES to one or more of those questions, then you should pursue the situation vigorously. If you cannot, then it is probably not something you need to spend your time on.

18.) How do you maintain balance between your professional and personal life?
Someone I respect in this industry once told me that making a commitment to this business and being successful in it is not a job, but a lifestyle decision. They were spot on in their assessment. In order to achieve some semblance of work/life balance, I think you need to look for opportunities to involve your family in your work and make them a part of the program. Likewise, just like you schedule a staff meeting or an appointment to see a donor, I believe you need to schedule time away from work to reconnect with your family. Whether that means a few hours on a weekend or a week’s vacation during the summer, taking the time to recharge is critical to long-term success and maintaining perspective.

19.) What is your favorite NACMA memory?
The first convention I attended in Reno, NV back in 1999 was certainly a significant event. I think that was the first time I realized how vast this business is while being very close knit, all at the same time. That opened a lot of doors for me professionally and will forever be etched in my memory.

20.) What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming NACMA Convention in Anaheim?
The opportunity to be in one of the world’s Mecca’s for sports and entertainment is certainly exciting. There is tremendous programming in place with a little bit of west-coast flair, so it should certainly be another outstanding convention organized by the exemplary NACDA staff.