Senior Management Team

Mike Pirolo, Founder & CEO

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepirolo

Mike is a senior General Management, Brand Marketing, Sales and Business Development Executive with  over 25 years of cross-disciplined revenue driving success in diversified industries with an emphasis in Sports Business.

He founded Virtus Interactive LLC with the intent of utilizing his extensive professional experience and personal network to build AthleticScholarshipsDirect, a service that helps educate parents and student-athletes on the process of pursuing a college athletic scholarship.   

Mike is one of the few individuals who has made a seamless transition from business to college athletics and back again. This affords him the ability to take a 360 degree view of this new venture from the Advertising Agency, Corporate Sponsorship and College Athletic Department perspective. Mike has worked in Senior national account management positions for Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy & Mather and   Bates Advertising in various regions of the United States while working on top agency accounts such as Ford, Sears, Miller Brewing Company, Pirelli Germany, Campbell Soup Company and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  

During his Agency tenure, Mike developed and executed national, regional and local integrated marketing plans for client engagement with the NFL  (Teams and Super Bowls), NBA, MLB, Olympics, LPGA, AVP, NASCAR, and  various entertainment properties (Paramount Pictures, Cirque Du Soliel,   Universal Studios, House of Blues; Jimmy Buffet, Brooks and Dunn, Clint   Black concert tours). In one ten-year period during his career, Mike had responsibility for over  50MM in client sports and entertainment   business.   

Post- 9/11, Mike left Bates Advertising in NYC to take the position of Associate Athletic Director of Marketing, Sales and Broadcasting at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he developed the first-ever departmental strategic marketing plan, developed (and was the Executive Producer of) the Army Football Radio network as well as the very successful self-liquidating Army Football telecasts in the NY DMA. Additionally, Mike developed and produced the first-ever Spanish radio broadcasts of Army Football in New York City market on WADO 1280 AM.

His portfolio of sponsor business at West Point included Chrysler/Jeep,   Sirius Satellite Radio, Aeropostale, Campbell Soup Company, Coca-Cola, Heineken,  Miller Brewing, Chock full O' Nuts, Boar's Head, Mrs. Fields, Gillette, USAA and Boeing   

Mike's earliest foray into College Athletics was as Associate Executive Director of the Peach Bowl (Chick-Fil-A) in the early 90's where he oversaw Marketing, Broadcast Operations, Media Relations, Game Operations and Corporate Partnerships.   

Immediately following his tenure at West Point, Mike was appointed as Director of North American Sales for the Agency Segment at Getty Images in New York City, the global leader in digital imagery, footage and music licensing. While at Getty, he was responsible for  a US-based staff of 24 and over 48MM in annual revenue.  One of his most important areas of responsibility was  global oversight and management of Agency holding company agreements with Interpublic Group, WPP and Omnicom.  Mike is currently engaged as a senior business development consultant for Kaloopy Media, a cutting-edge social media and APP development company, based in Santa Monica, CA. 

A  Connecticut native, Mike graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Communications and is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Hiram R. Green - Advisor     Tampa , Florida

A native Floridian from Bartow, Hiram's close relationship with ASD Founder and CEO Mike Pirolo goes back to their formative college days at the University of South Florida, over 30 years ago.

Hiram, a former D1 scholarship student-athlete and athletic administrator, brings a wealth of first-hand experience with the intricacies of the college athletic recruiting experience to the portals of ASD.    

He was personally recruited by over 12 Division 1 Universities as a senior at Bartow (FL) High School. Hiram decided to play for Coach Chip Conner at the University of South Florida, so that his parents would have the opportunity to see him play.

Hiram currently serves as the Director of Community Relations for USF Health; a unique partnership is formed by the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health at the University of South Florida.

Gail Sideman -Vice President of Public Relations      Milwaukee, WI

Gail Sideman is a veteran publicist, but don't expect her to deliver the same old PR pitch. Armed with a combination of traditional and social media, Sideman feels the world's pulse and puts it to work on clients' projects.

A focus on sports-related organizations and individuals, as well as books and their authors, Sideman provides creative and targeted means to attract audiences that want to know about her clients' projects.

More than 20 years of public relations experience, including 10 in NCAA Division I sports information during which she received national awards for her work, have led Sideman to emerge as one of the most respected professionals in sports and publishing publicity. When she suggests what a reporter seeks in a newsworthy story angle, she knows from experience.

She has worked on both sides of the media-PR spectrum, including time as a stringer for the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune, then as a freelance writer for sports and business publications. She additionally works with network television production crews at some of the country's most visible sports events, which allow her to keep her hand on the pulse of broadcast media.

Gail Sideman is a veteran publicist, but don't expect her to deliver the same old PR pitch. Armed with a combination of traditional and social media, Sideman feels the world's pulse and puts it to work on clients' projects.

Steven Board - Vice President, Student-Athlete Relations    New York, New York

On March 16, 2011, ASD Board Member and long-time friend of ASD Founder Mike Pirolo,  Steven Board was named Executive Director of the 100 Black Men of New York City, that historic organizations' founding chapter.  Previously as Founder and President of FXO Marketing Group, Steven has had a career in Sports & Event Marketing that many people only dream about.  Steven has planned and developed strategic integrated marketing campaigns for 20 years.  Steven is a certified sports conditioning specialist, a sports nutrition specialist and a sports safety instructor.  

As the former VP of Event Marketing for Bates of North America, Steven led the event marketing team and all event related brand building initiatives. Prior to Bates, Steven headed up east coast operations, sales and marketing for KBA Marketing Group.  Steven managed brand building initiatives for Adidas, Polaroid, USANetwork, US Open, Martell Cognac, Chivas Regal and RJ Reynolds.

During his tenure as  East Coast Regional Sports Marketing Director for Nike, Steven was in charge of all sports marketing efforts for the brand. Steven developed brand building sports campaigns which included:  NYC Stick Ball- Mets Vs. Yankees, NYC Marathon- Judgement Day, Next Level Basketball Camps and the first Brand Jordan Elite Basketball League in the country.

Steven was recruited by the NBA to manage a new initiative for the league called the NBA All-Star Jam Session and to drive attendance to the event.  Steven planned and executed a consumer marketing campaign which drove over 110,000 consumers per year over a 3 year period. While at the NBA, Steven masterminded  the development of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game, the Rookie Practice  and the NBA Jam Van & National Tour and as Executive Director of the National Pro Am City Leagues, developed integrated consumer marketing programs on both the regional and national level for McDonald's, Budweiser, Reebok, Asics and Coca-Cola. 

Steven also established the first national summer league basketball championship to be aired live on ABC Sports. Steven began his marketing career as Director of Citywide Sports for NYC's Sports Division, overseeing the Coca-Cola United States Youth Games and the Pepsi NBA Hot Shot Program.

Steven earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports and Recreation Administration from Lincoln University,  a Master of Science Degree in Event Management from Lehman College in New York City and a certificate in Sports and Entertainment Marketing from NYU.
   

Colonel Jill Willig Chambers, USA (Retired) - Advisor        Nashville, TN

Colonel Jill W. Chambers served four Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff over an eight-year period. In 2007, she was selected to serve as Special Assistant to current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, to conduct a focused study of wounded warrior issues, specifically in the areas of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Colonel Chambers built a team and spent 18 months traveling the U.S. She witnessed firsthand the often heart-breaking difficulties facing returning warriors, many of whom experienced multiple deployments.

Understanding the urgency for both real-time solutions and long-term prevention strategies, Colonel Chambers imagined and assembled an unprecedented strategy and team, including world renowned psychologist Martin Seligman and immediate past U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, world leading expert in Health Literacy, with the hope of increasing resiliency in Service Members before they face adversity and reducing the stigma surrounding PTS for the invisibly wounded.

Taking her Joint Staff experience related to returning warrior issues she moved to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel in November 2008 and arranged a meeting between the team she had assembled and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. They successfully presented their unique vision as the strongest opportunity to care for the record number of men and women in all branches of service facing from TBI and PTS.

Colonel Chambers' foresight as a leader, comprehensive experience and understanding of the issues at hand, willingness to think laterally and dogged commitment to this set of possibilities created the foundation for the resiliency programs in the Army's ground breaking Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program launched in 2009.

Retiring in 2009 after 28 years of active duty, Colonel Chambers "re-launched" as the Founder of This Able Vet, LLC, where she continues her commitment to real time solutions and long term strategies working with non pharmaceutical alternatives for PTS like Neuro-feedback alongside Dr Tim Royer and Guided Imagery with Belleruth Naparstek.

She has recently been appointed to serve on the SBA's Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs and is developing educational initiative in conjunction with the Small Business Administration's Office of Veterans Business Affairs and Pacific Lutheran University.

In May 2009, the same month that she retired from active duty, Colonel Chambers had the pleasure and distinct honor of commissioning her daughter Gwynn in the Adjutant General Corps. First Lieutenant Gwynn Miller is now serving as the Battalion Adjutant for the 709nd MP Battalion, Grafenwhor, Germany.

Andrew Vedlitz – Vice President-Marketing & Partner Development     Atlanta

A native Southerner, Andrew brings over 20 years of sports and entertainment business development experience to Athletic Scholarships Direct. He began his career as Assistant Executive Director of the Chick –Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia and continued to build on his industry credentials after successful tenures in sports and entertainment marketing at Young & Rubicam, Wachovia Bank, and the Philips Arena. Andrew has also served as Associate Executive Director of the Atlanta Super Bowl Task Force in charge of marketing and sales.

Michael Peterson – Advisor     Nashville, TN

The 2008 recipient of the Bob Hope "Spirit Of Hope" award for his service to our nation and our servicemen and women in 2007, Michael Peterson is loved for such million selling country music chart toppers as "Drink Swear Steal & Lie" and "From Here To Eternity", this multiple Grammy and CMA award nominee has moved audiences all over the globe for over a decade. 
     
Recognized by Billboard magazine as the top selling new male artist and top new airplay artist in 1997 -1998 in country music, he burst on the scene with 5 consecutive Billboard and R & R top 20 hits between 1997 and 2001. Three top five singles and three number one CMT music videos including "From Here To Eternity" recently chosen as one of G.A.C's top 100 greatest love song videos of all time.  

He is also a proven hit songwriter with multiple #1 songs in gospel and country both in the U.S and Europe. His songs have been recorded by Grammy winning superstars like Travis Tritt, Timothy B. Schmitt (The Eagles), The Classic Imperials, Ty Herndon, John Berry and Deniece "Let's Hear It For The Boy" Williams. 

     
 Raised in Richland, Washington this former National Champion collegiate football player at Pacific Lutheran has spent twelve years reaching hundreds of thousands of Junior High and Senior High school students across North America with his "Who Cares?" student assembly programs prior to embarking on the road to hit records and country music stardom.  

During the spring of 2008 Michael brought the MY REAL LIFE TOUR sponsored by Sea-Ray Boats, The American Legion, New Holland Tractors and his presenting sponsor the U.S. Army to over 100,000 people. This marks the first time the U.S. Army has backed an innovative tour by a civilian artist. The success and powerful messaging for young people astounded educators, school administrators and students across the nation.

Doug Murless – Region Director, Canada       Toronto, CA

Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, Doug brings over twenty years of business development experience to Athletic Scholarships Direct.  Doug caught the sports bug early playing hockey since age 5, like all Canadian kids, and spent a decade working in sporting goods retail starting at age 14.  An avid athlete, Doug has played many sports and continues to hone his golf skills on the GTA Amateur Golf Tour, which he describes as a constant work in progress, and hits the ice a couple of times a week in local hockey leagues. 

Doug began his career in the restaurant trade opening one of the first Subway locations in Canada.  Business took him out of the kitchen and into the office and for the past 12 years has been involved with companies who have emerging technologies in the SAAS and Social Media fields.  He is currently employed by Perly Consulting Group where he helps digital media companies remain competitive on the world stage by consulting them through the Ontario government tax credit and grant programs.

Doug graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a degree in Marketing.

State Representatives

Travis Dent-Columbus, Ohio

An Ohio native, Travis brings experience at both the high school and collegiate level as a student-athlete, coach and in administration. He has experienced first- hand the high school to college athlete recruiting process and brings this experience to the ASD team.    

Travis attended high school at St. Charles in Columbus, OH and has a Bachelor Degree from The United States Military Academy at West Point, where he played varsity baseball for the Black Knights as a catcher. He is currently working on his MBA from The Ohio State University.

Jason Bosley - Alabama

Jason grew up in Huntsville, AL and is a graduate of Grissom High School where he was a multi-sport athlete and competed in Football, Wrestling and Track & Field. Jason excelled at sports and was recruited by Auburn University and received a football scholarship in 2004. Jason played football at Auburn from 2004-2008 and was a 4 year lettermen. 
   

He started at Center for the Tigers and started in 30 games during the 2006-2008 seasons. Jason was elected as a Team Captain during his Senior football season and represented the Auburn University Football Team as the Offensive spokesperson at SEC Media Days in 2008. While playing at Auburn, Jason was the recipient of the 2008 Pat Dye Leadership Award and the 2007 Spring Football Offensive Eddie Welch Attitude and Effort Award. Jason was also nominated for the 2007 and 2008 Rimington Trophy and the 2008 Danny Weurffel Trophy. 
   

Jason was on the academic All-SEC Honor Roll as a freshman, sophomore, and junior and received the 2008 Spring Football Top GPA Award. Jason was nominated for the NCAA Leadership conference as an Auburn Representative in 2007 and was recognized as an Outstanding Student Athlete by the Auburn Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in March 2007.

Jason was also involved in FCA and spoke at various FCA functions, including the 2008 Challenger Banquet with 1500 attendees. He graduated with a degree in Finance from Auburn in 2007 and upon the completion of his senior football season in 2008 went to work for Travelers Insurance Company. He now resides in Birmingham, AL. He has a passion for sports and for kids who want to achieve their dream of playing collegiate athletics at any level.