Incoming NCAA President Charlie Baker announced today the appointment of Gina Lehe as vice president of communications, effective March 1. Lehe has served as interim senior vice president since July 2022.
"Gina has proven herself to be a strong leader with exceptional skills as a communications strategist and I am proud to have her as a member of my team. As I prepare to take office I've been impressed with Gina's work to make the NCAA's communications collaborative, inclusive and strategic," Baker said. "I look forward to hitting the ground running with her and the whole team soon."
Lehe will continue to oversee communications strategy for the national office and will report to Tim Buckley, named senior vice president of external affairs.
"The Association is fortunate to have such a talented communicator and strategist in Gina," Buckley said. "Her twenty years of experience in college football, her insight, and her ability to lead to get the job done will continue to make the NCAA a better organization."
Lehe joined the NCAA staff in November 2019 as the managing director of communications, brand and strategy after a more than 20-year career in the college football bowl system. During her short tenure at the NCAA, Lehe has implemented a collaborative brand vision and helped navigate the communications landscape throughout the pandemic. Among her achievements include a brand refresh, a newly redesigned website, and the creation of the NCAA Social Series.
Beginning in 2014, Lehe served as senior director of external relations and branding for the College Football Playoff. Before that, she was director of media for the Rose Bowl Game, director of public relations for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and public relations manager for the Insight Bowl.
She was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2022 and named a Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal Game Changer in 2017.
Lehe graduated from Arizona with a bachelor's degree in communications.
She now lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband, Adam, and two daughters, Adriana and Natalia.
