Jackie Turro  Sport Management & Finance, '04 Special Olympics CT Director of Development

COLLEGE MAJOR
Double Major – Sport Management and Finance, Minor in Spanish.  My goal was to work my up in the front office of a Major League Baseball club or other professional sports organization.

JOB POSITIONS
After graduation I worked for a season with Pilot Pen Tennis as Sponsorship Services Coordinator and then moved to Virginia Beach to work with Live Nation at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater as a Sponsorship Coordinator.  My responsibilities with both organizations revolved around sponsorship activation and fulfillment.  This includes marketing, signage, hospitality, tickets, on-site displays, promotions and more.  When I chose to relocated back to the northeast I wanted to combine my experience with corporate sponsors in both the sports and entertainment world, with my passion for philanthropy.  I’ve always been a very active volunteers with several organizations, and Special Olympics was a perfect fit to parlay my corporate experience into a career that would make a difference and leave an impact on someone’s life. 

CURRENT POSITION
As Director of Development for Special Olympics Connecticut – Eastern Region I am responsible for funding our many regional programs throughout the year.  This includes sponsorships, foundation and grant requests, individual donations and a myriad of fundraisers. 

TYPICAL DAY
A typical day includes cultivating existing relationships with our corporate partners, researching potential funding resources (corporations, foundations, or individuals), and a lot of event planning for fundraisers.  In a small office, we all wear a lot of hats, so it’s not out of the ordinary to do a little public relations, help out or program department or work with volunteers.

POSITIVES
There is something to be said for going to work every day and knowing that you are helping someone.  Seeing any of our athletes at one of our competitions or fund raising events and witnessing first hand exactly what all of your hard work has gone towards always puts a smile on your face.

NEGATIVES
Being a non-profit, there never seems to be enough money to provide all of the programs you would like to.  Due to the current economic situation many companies are being forced to cutback on sponsorship and donation amounts to non profits, making it increasingly difficult to maintain and improve upon programs.

LIFESTYLE
Prior to working with Special Olympics CT, I had very little experience with people with intellectual disabilities and this has obviously made me much more aware.  Special Olympics athletes demonstrate courage every day, and you can’t help it when their positive attitudes rub off on you a little bit.

COLLEGE PREPARATION
Having a degree in both Sport Management and Finance certainly gave me a leg up on competition when it came to jobs.  I have no doubt that the education that took place in the classroom played a vital role in my career, but I also think the extra curricular activities I was able to be a part of played a big role as well. As president of the Sport Management Club I gained leadership experience, organized events, and interacted with groups of people outside of my normal social circle.

CAREER ADVICE
I would suggest that any interested in pursuing a career in development with a non profit organization volunteer as much as possible with causes that are close to their hearts and pick an area of study that can be parlayed into both the non profit sector, and corporate America.  While it’s cliché, get involved as much as possible with clubs and organizations.  Not only will you enhance your social – and potentially professional -  network, but you will hone your skills and gain experiences that may help you land a job in the future.

SHU EXPERIENCE
I was very fortunate to have chosen a field of study that I honestly loved, with professors who were as equally enthusiastic.  With small classes, it was easy to build personal relationships with faculty and staff.  When I wasn't writing research papers on the business of baseball, writing proposal for building a new sports facility, or watching a football game in preparation for a sports marketing course, I did the typical college things.  I lived in campus housing all four years and still remain close with my roommates.  I think one of my fondest memories of SHU was the fall of freshman year, watching the 2000 MLB Playoffs and the World Series between the Yankees and the Mets in East Hall great room.  (As a Yankees fan who grew up in New England – this was something that had a profound impact on me.)  A dozen people who were strangers only weeks earlier, became close friends by the end of October.  The next four years, we continued our tradition of getting together for the baseball playoffs.   I also took advantage of a lot of events offered at SHU including football, basketball and hockey games, drive-ins, and Senior Pub Nights and enjoyed SHU’s close proximity to the beach and New York City.