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Leading From A Fundraising Mindset With Nicholls State’s Jonathan Terrell

Guest Jonathan Terrell, Nicholls State
16:13 min watch

Summary

Nicholls State Director of Athletics Jonathan Terrell joins ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2023 NCAA Convention to share his story of creating the university’s Huddle Up Club as a sport-specific booster club for football and his subsequent work leading the department with a fundraising mindset as AD. Terrell speaks to the importance of being “where your feet are” if you understand your capacity in terms of resources, noting “you can do a lot with a little.” Terrell also discusses his “worker bee” leadership style and how his time working in sales solidified his belief that building relationships and establishing trust are the key to departmental success.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

  • - Talk to us about trying to create a lot without having a lot. With that context, talk to us about what you've accomplished at Nicholls State.
  • - Where did the idea of creating a booster club come from? Talk us through the process of creating something related to development for a specific sport (in this case, football).
  • - How has the "why can't that work here" mindset manifested itself during your time in the chair?
  • - Is accessibility a philosophy across your department, with coaches and administrators? 
  • - Is the booster club you originally established still only serving football or has it expanded to encompass other sports? How do you reconcile the booster club concept with the mission of University Advancement?