PITTSBURG — Pittsburg State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Johnson announced today (Nov. 21) that Keelah Griffith has been hired to fill the newly-created full-time position of Assistant Athletic Director for Development. The position is a joint effort between Intercollegiate Athletics and University Development that creates a position to focus solely on growth of annual scholarship giving through the Silverback Fund.

Griffith completed her eligibility as an outfielder for the Gorillas softball team this past spring. The Bentonville, Ark., native played from 2019-2023 earning All-MIAA honors during her junior campaign in 2022. During the 2022-23 she also served as President of the Pitt State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She was named the Pitt State Female Student-Athlete of the Year and MIAA Ken B. Jones Award nominee in May of 2022.

Additionally, Griffith has served as a graduate assistant in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics the past two years (2022-23) while pursuing a master's degree in health, human performance and recreation. She was also a Pittsburg State Advancement Ambassador from 2020 to 2022.

"Thank you to the Pitt State staff and athletics leadership team for supporting me these last five years," Griffith said. "I am thrilled to join the athletics and development teams as the assistant athletic director for development, where I am excited to continue my passion for Pittsburg State!"

In her new role, Griffith will be responsible for developing and coordinating all components of annual scholarship fundraising efforts for the Silverback Fund.

She will be responsible for creating a strategic fundraising plan for the program; and working with athletics staff, head coaches and volunteers in the area of donor relations and ensuring all annual fundraising initiatives are successful. Griffith also will help plan, coordinate and execute the annual PSU Athletics Kickoff Party and Auction fundraising event.

"Keelah is a detail-oriented and driven young professional who will be a perfect for this job. She relates well to people, whether that be work colleagues, student-athletes, coaches, alumni, or donors. She will be able to tell the story of what it means to receive an athletics scholarship and is an example of how those scholarship investments pay dividends by growing amazing student-athletes into amazing professionals."

The Silverback Fund was established in 2017 to serve as the catalyst to raise funds specifically for athletic scholarships. Currently, the University invests just over $2M in scholarships. The growth and continued development of the Silverback Fund is critical as overall expenses continue to increase. To continue to operate at a championship level, growth of the Silverback Fund is key. The dollars raised for scholarships will enable current dollars to be invested in other ways. To date, the Silverback Fund has raised just over $1.2 million. Now, with a dedicated staff member, the ultimate goal would be to fully-fund all athletics scholarship expenses through private giving.

"Keelah has been invested in Pitt State as a student-athlete, and most recently as a graduate assistant, and will bring that energy and passion to this new position," said Becky McDaniel, Associate Vice President for University Advancement. "One of our top priorities is to increase scholarship support for student athletes. Adding a dedicated individual in this role will help make those efforts successful."