Karlgaard Announces Three Staff Promotions
8/26/2021 10:59:00 AM | General
Houston, Pillen and Stevens take on expanded roles
Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation and Lifetime Fitness Joe Karlgaard announced on Thursday the promotion of three athletics department staff members.
Taurian C. Houston has been elevated to Senior Associate AD for Compliance and Administration, David Pillen is now Associate AD for External Relations and Paul Stevens has moved up to the role of Assistant AD for Ticketing and Business Strategy.
" Taurian, David and Paul are valued members of the Rice athletics department team," Karlgaard stated. "Each of them works very hard in support of our student-athletes, collaborates well with others, and embodies the values of this university. I'm proud to support their continued development as key administrators for Rice athletics."
Houston joined the Owls in September of 2018 as the Assistant AD for Compliance from Colgate University. As a member of the department's Senior Staff, he provides administrative leadership and oversight of the Office of Compliance Services and serves as the sport administrator for men's basketball and women's cross country/track and field. Additionally, he is the department liaison to several Rice campus offices, including undergraduate admission, financial aid, housing & dining, and cashier. Houston also assisted in managing facility enhancement projects for each program's respective practice space (Fox Gym, Wendel D. Ley Track & Holloway Field).
Pillen's responsibility of marketing, licensing, creative, video, and spirit squads will continue and now integrate the marketing and communications department. Combining both marketing and communications will leverage the skillsets of an already creative and talented team in an aligned effort to provide more coverage and promotion of Rice student-athletes, to expand the reach of Rice Athletics' brand, and continue enhancing revenue generation opportunities for the department. He came to Rice in the spring of 2018 as the Assistant AD of Marketing after nearly five years at Louisiana Tech, where he rose from Director of Video Productions & Creative Services to Assistant AD for Marketing.
Stevens, who is entering his sixth season with the Owls, leads the ticket operations team while also driving business strategy and analytics initiatives focused on revenue generation. He is also responsible for ticketing technology and data strategy, including CRM management. Stevens joined the department in November of 2016 as the Ticket Manager and rose to become Associate Director of Ticketing before assuming oversight of all the Owls ticketing operations and related business strategy and analytics initiatives.
Taurian C. Houston has been elevated to Senior Associate AD for Compliance and Administration, David Pillen is now Associate AD for External Relations and Paul Stevens has moved up to the role of Assistant AD for Ticketing and Business Strategy.
" Taurian, David and Paul are valued members of the Rice athletics department team," Karlgaard stated. "Each of them works very hard in support of our student-athletes, collaborates well with others, and embodies the values of this university. I'm proud to support their continued development as key administrators for Rice athletics."
Houston joined the Owls in September of 2018 as the Assistant AD for Compliance from Colgate University. As a member of the department's Senior Staff, he provides administrative leadership and oversight of the Office of Compliance Services and serves as the sport administrator for men's basketball and women's cross country/track and field. Additionally, he is the department liaison to several Rice campus offices, including undergraduate admission, financial aid, housing & dining, and cashier. Houston also assisted in managing facility enhancement projects for each program's respective practice space (Fox Gym, Wendel D. Ley Track & Holloway Field).
Pillen's responsibility of marketing, licensing, creative, video, and spirit squads will continue and now integrate the marketing and communications department. Combining both marketing and communications will leverage the skillsets of an already creative and talented team in an aligned effort to provide more coverage and promotion of Rice student-athletes, to expand the reach of Rice Athletics' brand, and continue enhancing revenue generation opportunities for the department. He came to Rice in the spring of 2018 as the Assistant AD of Marketing after nearly five years at Louisiana Tech, where he rose from Director of Video Productions & Creative Services to Assistant AD for Marketing.
Stevens, who is entering his sixth season with the Owls, leads the ticket operations team while also driving business strategy and analytics initiatives focused on revenue generation. He is also responsible for ticketing technology and data strategy, including CRM management. Stevens joined the department in November of 2016 as the Ticket Manager and rose to become Associate Director of Ticketing before assuming oversight of all the Owls ticketing operations and related business strategy and analytics initiatives.
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