KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan University Vice President and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae has announced the promotion of Elaine Russell to Deputy Athletic Director. Russell, who has served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations since 2022, will assume an enhanced leadership role effective immediately.
In her expanded capacity, Russell will provide increased day-to-day leadership across departmental operations and strategic initiatives involving revenue generation and third-party initiatives related to the department's Name, Image and Likeness program. She will also take on an expanded role in supervising the football program in concert with the Vice President/Director of Athletics. Her responsibilities will continue to include oversight of all external operations, including revenue generation, brand advancement, and fan engagement.
"I want to congratulate Elaine on this well-deserved promotion," stated Vice President and Director of Athletics, Dan Bartholomae. "In just over three years on campus, we have seen record breaking revenue generation efforts and nationally recognized increases in fan attendance. Elaine has shined as a leader on our executive team and is sought out to solve problems across all of our departments and programs. She is also nationally recognized as a leader in revenue generation, having been elected to serve as a future President of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators."
As Deputy AD, Russell will continue to lead marketing, communications, ticket sales, sponsorship, Bronco Productions, creative media, and licensing. She will also retain sports oversight for select teams while serving as the primary liaison for departmental partnerships with Van Wagner (multimedia rights) and Playfly Aspire (ticket sales), as well as the department's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy through its third-party partner, Altius Sports Partners.
Since rejoining the Broncos in 2022, Russell has helped lead significant growth in fan attendance, ticket revenue, and brand visibility. Under her guidance, WMU was nationally recognized for attendance increases in football, placing 1st in the MAC and 13th in the country. As the lead over external revenue generating functions, the department has grown to be the leader in the Mid-American Conference in ticket revenues, seen a 33% net increase in sponsorship revenues, and has executed the department's first ever exclusive athletic department merchandising partnership with Rally House. During Russell's tenure, the Athletic Department's budget has grown 20% without any increases in institutional support.
Russell has also engaged directly with students, assisting the nationally recognized Lawson Lunatics to become a Registered Student Organization, overseeing back-to-back single game student attendance records in Men's Ice Hockey, and increasing student attendance in football by 52%.
"I'm incredibly grateful to Dan for the opportunity to continue serving our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans in this elevated role," said Russell. "Western Michigan is a special place, and I'm honored to help drive forward our mission of achieving championship-level success with a student-athlete-centered focus. I look forward to building on the strong foundation of excellence already in place—working collaboratively to holistically develop our student-athletes, enhance the fan experience, and continue to grow the Bronco brand."
This is Russell's second stint at Western Michigan. She returned to Kalamazoo after eight years at the University at Buffalo, where she served as Associate Athletic Director for External Relations and led all facets of UB's marketing, promotions, and ticket sales efforts.
A respected leader in intercollegiate athletics, Russell currently serves as the 3rd Vice President for the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), where she plays a key role in advancing the industry's best practices and professional development initiatives. She is also a regular participant in a variety of NCAA and Conference professional development programs, further underscoring her commitment to growing the profession and mentoring the next generation of athletic administrators.
