NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan announced Thursday that Emily Newsome has been promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations effective immediately. She will also serve as the sport administrator for the Redbird football program.
"Emily has been a valued member of our senior staff and has been instrumental in the sustainability of this department," Brennan said. "Her work internally on the business side allowed us to navigate one of the most challenging years in the department's history and come out the other side with a clear plan moving forward. She is a rising star in this business and we cannot wait to see where her leadership takes us in the future."
In December of 2019, Newsome was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Business & Personnel and became a part of the department's leadership team. In that role, she oversees the department's business/personnel/facilities and game operations units and all athletic department budget areas. She also coordinates with the University's legal, purchasing, facilities planning, budget and comptroller's offices as a liaison for the Athletics Department and is a member of the University's Student Fee Committee, Campus Enhancement Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council.
Prior to that, Newsome served as a business associate and the athletic department hiring manager from December 2011-2019. Her duties included creating and updating job descriptions, handling payroll approvals for the department and processing all new hire and termination paperwork for all Athletic Department personnel. She also served as liaison between the University Affirmative Action Office and the Athletics Department to implement ethics and other training programs to ensure Affirmation Action plans are properly tended to.
Newsome began her tenure with Illinois State athletics in 2006 as a student intern, working four years in various roles during her undergraduate career. She was then hired on to be a graduate assistant in 2010 in athletics business office and assisted with processing payments for various athletic department expenses (travel, ops, payroll, special purchases) until being hired on full-time in 2011.
A two-time graduate of Illinois State, Newsome earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in May of 2010 and then earned her master's degree in business administration in December of 2011.
The Pontiac, Ill., native currently lives in Magnolia, Ill., with her husband Christopher, and their three children Jace, Brock and Claire. The couple is expecting their fourth child in July.
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