Sampson to Join MHSAA Staff
July 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Jeremy Sampson, an award-winning sportscaster who founded and currently serves as president of the Lansing United semi-professional men’s soccer club, will join the Michigan High School Athletic Association staff later this month in the newly-created position of Ticketing, Promotions & Marketing Coordinator.
Sampson earned awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and The Associated Press while serving as the weekend sports anchor from 2005-2013 for WILX in Lansing, where he also coordinated the station’s weekly high school highlights show. He previously worked as the sports broadcasting producer for Michigan State University from 2000-02 and most recently has served as a communications specialist for the Michigan Department of Treasury, coordinating internal communications and assisting with media relations.
He has gained valuable ticketing and event promotions experience from his role with Lansing United. Sampson created the franchise in 2013 and serves as its president and chief executive officer. In those roles, Sampson is in charge of all game day operations, hiring of the head coach and general manager, and developing and executing strategies for ticket sales and team promotion. Lansing United is a member of the National Premier Soccer League, which has more than 80 teams nationwide. The United has drawn on average just more than 1,000 fans per game during its three-season history, ranking third in the NPSL’s seven-team Great Lakes Conference West behind only franchises from much larger markets in Detroit and Grand Rapids.
In his role with the MHSAA, Sampson will take the lead in all ticketing operations and efforts to promote attendance at MHSAA events. The majority of revenue collected by the association for use in its operating budget is collected from ticket sales at postseason events it sponsors.
“The MHSAA is best-known for its tournaments, and this is the first time we have had someone on staff focused primarily on promotion of our events,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “Jeremy Sampson brings experience and ideas, and additionally he adds depth to our staff in a number of other important communications functions.”
Sampson, a native of Vermontville and graduate of Bath High School, also is a 1996 graduate of Michigan State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He will begin his duties at the MHSAA on July 25.
Six Members Elected to MHSAA Representative Council
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 20, 2021
Elections were completed this week to fill positions on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s legislative body, its Representative Council, with four members receiving re-election, another rejoining the Council after previously serving and a sixth being selected for the first time. All six were elected to two-year terms.
The four re-elected members ran unopposed. Marquette athletic director Alex Tiseo was re-elected to continue representing Class A and B schools in the Upper Peninsula. Gobles athletic director Chris Miller was re-elected to continue representing Class C and D schools in the southwestern section of the Lower Peninsula, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford athletic director and football coach Jason Mensing was re-elected to continuing representing Class C and D schools in the southeastern section of the Lower Peninsula. Jay Alexander, executive director of athletics for Detroit Public Schools Community District, was re-elected to continue representing Detroit Public Schools.
Boyne City athletic director and girls basketball coach Adam Stefanski was elected to represent junior high/middle schools. He previously served on the Council for one year while athletic director at Mackinaw City. Elected to the Council for the first time was Chelsea athletic director Brad Bush, who will fill one of two statewide at-large positions.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee. The Council meets three times annually. Five members of the Council convene monthly during the school year to form the MHSAA’s Executive Committee, which reviews appeals of Handbook regulations by member schools.
Additional elections took place to select representatives to the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee. Negaunee athletic director and football coach Paul Jacobson was elected to represent Class A and B schools, Ishpeming Westwood athletic director Jon Beckman was elected to represent Class C schools, and Ontonagon superintendent and principal Jim Bobula was elected to represent Class D schools.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.