Among the honorees were Katie Boehmer-Abbott '24, who was named Major of the Year, and Cedar Zobel-Williams '24, who received the James P. Drummond Distinguished Service Award.
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The Department of Sport Management held a senior banquet and awards ceremony on April 29 to honor high-achieving sport management majors for their achievements, service, and perseverance.
Following a brief welcome by Cedar Zobel Williams '24, who playfully teased the faculty, Elon alumnus Nick Markunas '15 offered career advice to Snow Family Grand Atrium attendees and shared his personal We delved into his professional journey.
Photos from the banquet can be viewed on the School of Communication's Flickr page.
Markunas currently serves as CPI Security's Partnerships, Community, and Events Marketing Manager, overseeing the execution of sponsorship assets for seven MiLB organizations and nine NCAA institutions, including UNC, Duke, NC State, and Elon. doing.
But it was his father who got him into the sports industry, as he majored in sports and event management. Years ago, at a publicity event after Commander Washington made the decision to move its training camp to Richmond, Virginia (Marcunas' hometown), his father met with the organization's charitable foundation trustees and sent an e-mail address to He taught me.
“My father wrote it down and later gave it to me and said, 'You're moving,'” the younger Markunas recalled. “So I reached out. I sent a cold email and just said, 'Hey…I'll work for free over the summer.'”
It worked, and he was able to get an internship. And the following summer he received an invitation again. Thanks to his relationship with the Washington team, Mercunas secured a post-grad internship in the Carolina Panthers' community relations department during the Panthers' 2015 Super Bowl run.
After his only season in Charlotte, he took a full-time job as community relations manager for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, where he managed events for NFL initiatives such as Salute to Service, Crucial Catch, and My Cause My. Developed, planned and executed. Cleats and Make-A-Wish. He was responsible for player recruitment as requested by all internal and external partners. He served in that role for five years, four in Oakland and one in Las Vegas, assisting with the team's community relief efforts during the pandemic and the team's first season in Las Vegas.
In his talk, Markunas challenged current students to build meaningful relationships beyond their LinkedIn connections. And he alluded to the strong connections he made with his sports management faculty, which he said he still relies on.
“Take advantage of your resources,” he said. “And once you make a connection, be sure to maintain it. No one likes to be attacked when they need something. Even if it's just to contact them about current events or what's going on. Please keep in touch no matter what.”
Following Markunas' keynote address, the department presented several awards, beginning with the selection of Katie Boehmer Abbott as the year's recipient of the award. Associate Professor Shaina Dubbs praised Boehmer Abbott for her outstanding achievements during her student days, including her many contributions to the Women Influencers in Sport (WINS) initiative.
“Over the past four years, Katie has demonstrated maturity, determination, selflessness and resilience, deeply committed to not only her own success but also the success of her colleagues within the department,” Dabbs said.
Cedar Zobel Williams received the James P. Drummond Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of the founding head of the Department of Leisure and Sports Management (later renamed Sports Management). This award is presented to a student who recognizes outstanding contributions to Elon University and the campus community.
Finally, Sarah Dawkins ’25 received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Lauren Winslow ’27 and Mia Zebree ’27 received the Rising Phoenix Award.
The dinner, held in conjunction with the Sports Management Association, ended with a few words from Kara Lucia, the department's outgoing president.
