Miami University's Director of Athletics David Sayler has announced the addition of Brad Okel as Assistant Vice President of Development/Associate AD of Revenue Generation. Okel begins his duties on Oct. 9.
"My family and I could not be more excited to rejoin the Miami Athletics family," said Okel. "I want to thank Director of Athletics David Sayler, for this incredible opportunity. I look forward to working with this team to build relationships and drive future support toward the mission of Graduating Champions."
Okel spent the past three years at Cincinnati as its Executive Director of Development, handling the day-to-day operations of UCATS, overseeing a staff of nine team members and was also a member of the UC Athletics Executive staff. Over the past three years, Okel designed and launched a $100 million Day One Ready Campaign in which $93 million has already been raised. He raised $1 million in student-athlete support earmarked directly for mental health and nutrition. He also assisted in raising $31 million for the UC football indoor practice facility project and helped UCATS set a single-year fundraising record of $39 million in 2022.
Prior to joining the Bearcats, Okel spent four years with the RedHawks as the Assistant Athletic Director/Annual Giving at Miami. In his role in Oxford, he provided strategic leadership on a variety of initiatives and facilitated major gifts to departmental priorities which included scholarships and capital projects. This included $1 million in scholarship support for the men's swimming and diving program, $500,000 for an indoor tennis facility and played a strategic role in Miami's $80 million Graduating Champions Campaign.
"I am excited to welcome Brad back to the Miami Athletics family," said Sayler. "He is a known commodity amongst all involved with Miami and has the perfect skill set to capitalize externally on the momentum being generated from Miami Athletics right now. In addition to leading our fundraising efforts, Brad will also serve as a member of my senior staff with oversight of our multimedia rights holder relationship with Van Wagner and our ticket office relationship with Aspire thus allowing all of our external efforts involving revenue to be more streamlined and effective."
Before his first stint with Miami, Okel spent three years with UC, serving as the associate director of the University of Cincinnati Foundation. In that role, he helped raise $40 million for Nippert Stadium's renovation and expansion project.
Prior to 2014, Okel served two years as the Assistant Director of Development for UCATS, where he helped increase donations to both the volleyball and men's swimming and diving programs. He also secured the lead gift for the Bearcats' track and field locker room renovation and managed alumni events for volleyball, men's swimming and diving and track and field. Before that, he began his stint at UC as a UCATS Customer Service Advisor and their IMG College Game Day Implementation intern.
Okel earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in communication from the University of Cincinnati in 2010 and obtained a Masters of Education in Sport Administration from Xavier University in 2012.
Okel and his wife, Brittany, have two children, a daughter named Nora and a son named Conley.
