Doug Elgin

Doug Elgin enters his 24th year with the Missouri Valley Conference in 2011-12, leading an experienced staff that has been blazed a trail of excellence over the past two decades.  Since being named the Valley’s ninth commissioner on May 17, 1988, Elgin and the Valley staff have been catalysts in helping the St. Louis-based conference regain a position of prominence in college athletics.

Elgin and his staff can reflect upon a remarkable list of accomplishments and contributions they have made over the past two decades that have added to the long, rich athletic tradition of the conference.  During the decade of the 1990s, Elgin and his staff oversaw the realignment and the stabilization of the Missouri Valley membership during the decade of the ‘90s as the league expanded by admitting Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Evansville as new members and also brought women’s sports programs under the conference’s administrative umbrella in July of 1992.

The league staff also paved the way to establish St. Louis as a long-term neutral site for the men’s basketball tournament beginning in 1991, one of the most significant developments in the modern era of the Valley.  In 2012, the State Farm MVC Tournament will celebrate its 22nd consecutive year in St. Louis, making it the second longest-tenured neutral site college basketball tournament in the country.  In 2008, the Valley followed suit with its women’s basketball tournament, moving it to the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri, where it will be played for the fifth consecutive season next March.   

The conference office has also served to make the City of St. Louis a frequent stop on the NCAA basketball tournament trail, beginning in 1993 when the Missouri Valley hosted the NCAA Men’s Midwest Regional.  That first step as an NCAA tournament host began an incredible run that would bring nine more NCAA basketball events to sporting venues in St. Louis from 1998 through 2010, including the 2001 and 2009 Women’s Final Fours, the 2005 Men’s Final Four, and six more men’s Midwest Regional tournaments.  

Elgin completed a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in 2002 and was the first Valley representative ever to serve as a member of that prestigious group.  He has also served on the CCA Executive Committee and is currently a member of the NCAA Administration Cabinet.

In more than 35 years in college athletic administration, Elgin has served in a variety of capacities at four schools and in two conference offices.   His career path has included stints as sports information director at Frostburg State University (1975-76), Miami-Dade Community College South (1976-77), Lafayette College (1977-80) and the University of Virginia (1980-83). In 1983, he left Virginia, moving to the Tampa-based Sun Belt Conference where he worked for five years as assistant commissioner under commissioner Vic Bubas, the former Duke basketball coach and a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.  

The 60-year-old Elgin is a native of Hagerstown, Md., and is a 1973 graduate of Lafayette College. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1975.   Doug and his wife Melaine have six daughters: Lisa, Jessica, Julie, Anna, Emma and Mary.

Patty Viverito

Joe Mitch

Joe Mitch is in his 27th year with The Valley, starting as assistant commissioner in 1985 when the league office relocated to St. Louis from Tulsa. He was promoted to associate commissioner in 1988.

Mitch serves as tournament director for the men’s basketball tournament that annually is in the top 10 nationally in attendance among Division I conferences. He also handles baseball for the conference, serving as tournament director, arranging league schedules and overseeing the assignment of umpires for conference games.

Mitch is the primary staff contact with MVC Sports Properties, which handles television advertising and sponsorship sales for the Valley, and oversees marketing and promotions for the conference.

Mitch is a member of the Local Organizing Committee for NCAA basketball tournaments in St. Louis and participated in a presentation to the NCAA that led to St. Louis being awarded the 2005 NCAA Final Four where he served as chair of the games management committee for the St. Louis LOC. Overall, Mitch has been involved in various capacities in 36 straight NCAA Final Fours.

Mitch has been tournament manager of seven NCAA tournaments (the 1993, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2010 Midwest Regionals and the 2002 Midwest First/Second Rounds), was local media coordinator for the 1978 NCAA Final Four in St. Louis and three NCAA Midwest Regionals (1975, 1979 and 1982) and has worked numerous other NCAA basketball tournaments as a media relations specialist.

Mitch was publicist for the 1983 Davis Cup tennis quarterfinals in St. Louis and the 1977 Intercontinental Cup basketball series for the U. S. squad that played games against national teams in Italy, Greece, Belgium, Israel, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. He was selected to serve as a media relations officer at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1994 U. S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis.

Mitch’s professional career spans 43 years, most of which has been in intercollegiate athletics. He was assistant commissioner with the Metro Conference from 1976 to 1983 and has held sports information positions at four institutions: Illinois-Chicago (1968-70), Southern Illinois (1970-73), Dayton (1973-75) and St. Louis (1975-76). He also served as communications manager for the St. Louis-based Sports Time Cable Network from 1983-85 and briefly worked at Southwestern Bell Publications (1985) before joining the MVC.

A 1968 graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Mitch also serves as executive director of the 900-member U. S. Basketball Writers Association. He’s held that position since 1983. Mitch has participated in church missionary trips to Africa, Costa Rica and Mexico with his wife Sue, an ordained Methodist minister.  They have two adult children: Jeff, a medical sales representative, and Stacey, director of business communications for the San Antonio Spurs.

Jack Watkins

Jack R. Watkins is in his 20th season at the Missouri Valley, and his ninth as Associate Commissioner for Marketing and Television. Previously, Watkins had served as the league’s public information and media services director for 11 years.

In his marketing capacity, Watkins, 48, oversees sponsorship fulfillment and coordinates in-season conference promotions, including implementation of point-of-sale retail promotions and consumer participation programs.

The chair of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, he also develops promotions for league championships and assists with the coordination of the Conference’s community outreach programs, including the State Farm Just Read! Program.

As the staff’s contact for television, Watkins oversees contract negotiation, production, hiring on-air talent and clearances and assists MVC Sports Properties with advertising sales for The Valley Television Network on Fox Sports Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Fox College Sports and ESPN.

During his tenure at The Valley, he has been a media coordinator for the 1993, 1998 and 1999 NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Midwest Regionals and 2002 NCAA First/Second Rounds in St. Louis, and served as a television time-out coordinator a total of 13 times for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Championship and once for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Division I Championship.

As men’s basketball publicity contact, his 1997, 2000 and 2002 MVC hoops guides were voted “Best in the Nation” by the College Sports Information Directors of America conference publications committee, and the 2001 and 2003 MVC yearbooks earned “Best in the Nation” for their cover design.

A native of Sikeston, Mo., Watkins became the 14th recipient of the Katha Quinn Award -- presented for service to sportswriters who cover college basketball -- from the 800-member United States Basketball Writers Association in April 2003.

A 1985 University of Missouri-Columbia journalism graduate, Watkins served assistant sports information director at Kansas State University during the 1986-87 school year, coordinating media services for the sports of volleyball, men’s basketball and baseball.  

From 1988 to 1992, he was assistant sports information director at the University of Missouri, handling pbulicity for the sports of volleyball, wrestling, men’s basketball, women’s gymnastics and baseball.  

A member of the USBWA and National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), Watkins and his wife Genny live in Creve Coeur, Mo.

Mike Kern

Mike Kern is in his 20th season at the Missouri Valley and 21st year overall in serving the membership.  In a dual role, Kern serves as Associate Commissioner for the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and has been with the Missouri Valley Football Conference since 1991.

For The Valley, he helps oversee all media relations for the 18-sport league, and his primary responsibility is men’s basketball. He was Media Coordinator for the 2001 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 2004 NCAA Men’s Regional, the 2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and the 2009 Women’s Final Four.  He was assistant tournament manager for the 2008 First and Second Round Men’s Basketball Tournament in Omaha.  He has also served as timeout coordinator for two NCAA women’s basketball regionals.

Kern oversees the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s in-house television package, which includes scheduling and clearances, plus the hiring of on-air talent.

In 2002, he received the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual award for “Best Use of Technology in Sports” as he introduced the league’s on-line statistical reporting system used for the league’s Olympic sport programs.

Kern, 44, earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Missouri (magna cum laude) in 1988 and a master’s degree in communications management from league member Missouri State (summa cum laude) in 1990.

A St. Louis native, Kern served as a sports information graduate assistant for two years at MSU and as a student assistant at Missouri as an undergraduate.

His publications and features have earned numerous CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) awards. His 1998 women’s basketball guide, 2000 and 2002 football guides and 2006 men’s basketball guide were judged “Best in the Nation,” while his 1993, 2006 and 2007 Valley Football guides, the 1995 MVC softball guide, the 1998 women’s basketball guide, the 2000 women’s basketball guide, and his 2004 men’s basketball guide earned “Best in the Nation” for their cover designs. His 1997, 1998 and 2006 Valley Football guides, and his 2004 men’s basketball guide each placed third, while the 1999 football guide, his 2005 men’s basketball guide and 2008 football guide were second nationally.  Kern’s 1990 MSU softball guide was also second in the nation. He has a total of 30 national top-5 awards for his publications work.

He is a member of CoSIDA, ConSIDA (Conference Sports Information Directors of America), the Football Writers Association of America, and the United States Basketball Writers Association.  Kern was recently married to Terri Bright (August 2011) and they live in Richmond Heights, Mo.  They have two boys (Michael and Max) and two girls (Megan and Hannah).

Greg Walter

Rich Steed

Now beginning his 11th year with Missouri Valley Conference, Rich Steed brings over 30 years of executive financial management experience to The Valley.

As CFO, Steed insures that appropriate financial controls are in place and applies sound techniques to all aspects of The Valley’s financial matters.  He is responsible for developing creative and effective financial strategies to help The Valley achieve its conference goals and protect its assets.  Additional responsibilities include human resource issues, purchasing of major assets, review of contracts, maintaining IT integrity and assisting with event-based duties.

Prior to joining The Valley, Steed served as Business Manager of the Moolah Shrine Center for five years.  From 1980 to 1995 he was the owner of R.J.C. & Company, a consulting services firm focusing on computer and software accounting solutions for its clientele.

A St. Louis native, Steed is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an accounting major and economics minor.

Kelli Briscoe

A native of Warrensburg, Mo., Briscoe enters her fourth season at the MVC.

At the Missouri Valley Conference office, Briscoe is the primary media relations contact for volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s basketball and baseball.  To that end, she handles all publicity for those sports, which will include the production of publications, web site maintenance, and weekly releases.

Briscoe provides assistance in managing the league’s internet web site and on-line statistical reporting system, assists with the league’s video-streaming program, and also serves as a staff administrator at a number of championships.

In addition, Briscoe will oversee administration for the sport of volleyball and will also serve as the coordinator for the league’s internship program.   

Prior to joining the Valley staff, Briscoe spent a year as an intern at the Western Athletic Conference in Englewood, Colo.  At the WAC, Briscoe was the primary media contact for women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field.  In addition to her media relations duties, Briscoe assisted in the overall development and implementation of marketing and promotional efforts for the nine-member conference.

Prior to her one season at the WAC, Briscoe spent one semester as an intern for the Mid-South Conference in Louisville, Ky., where she coordinated all aspects of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, men’s and women’s tennis tournaments, men’s and women’s track and field, and cheerleading championships.  While earning a master’s degree from the University of Louisville (May 2007), she spent two years at Nelligan Sports Marketing in Louisville, Ky., assisting with various game-day operations and promotions for University of Louisville football and men’s basketball events.

Briscoe received her bachelor’s degree in health and wellness from league member Missouri State in 2005, where she was a member of the Bears’ volleyball team.

Kristin Gregory

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Kristin Gregory starts her third season at the Missouri Valley Conference after serving as a media relations intern for swimming & diving, track & field and tennis in 2009-10 and becoming full-time in 2010.

At The Valley, Gregory handles all sports information and publicity duties for cross country and softball which includes weekly press releases and updating the conference website.  She oversees the operations of the 18 conference championships, including men’s and women’s basketball, handles the conference awards programs, as well as the Elite 18 program, is the officiating liaison to all six officiating programs.

Gregory comes to the Missouri Valley Conference after serving as an intern for the St. Louis Sports Commission, where she was actively involved in planning, coordinating and marketing of different events - most notably the annual Arch Rivalry Football Game (Missouri vs. Illinois at the Edward Jones Dome).

As an undergrad student at the University of Missouri, Gregory served two years as a RecSports Assistant Manager, where she promoted facilities and programs and managed a team of supervisors and officials for seven different sport programs.

She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration from Mizzou in May 2009, and completed her master’s degree in sports management at Lindenwood University in St. Louis in May 2010.

Derrick Docket

Derrick Docket began his tenure with the Missouri Valley Conference in October 2010.

As Director of New Media and Technology, Docket serves as league’s point person for new media and technology.  To that end, he manages the MVC website administration and maintenance and serves as the internet point person for the league’s varied websites.

Docket also oversees the promotion and development of the Missouri Valley Conference brand through the various forms of new and social media, including, but not limited to, video and photo content, video-streaming, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs.

Additionally, he oversees the league videostreaming program, including the negotiation of production contracts, procurement and distribution of necessary hardware and software, which includes working with institutions to secure proper staffing at each MVC championship, while assisting league institutions with the implementation of a “Campus Connections” model.

Docket has a strong background as a freelance designer and graphic artist, having spent two stints at Epsilon in St. Louis as a production artist and analyst.  He’s also freelanced for two popular websites in the St. Louis area (InsideSTL.com and i70baseball.com).

Between stints at Epsilon he spent more than two years as a Computer Graphics Specialist at Osborn & Barr Communications (advertising agency).

A 2002 graduate of MVC member Missouri State with a bachelor’s degree in Art and Design, Advertising and Promotion, Docket is still active with his alma mater, organizing alumni relations actions for MSU in the St. Louis area.  He and his wife Brittany reside in St. Peter’s Mo.

Lori Brutton

Lori Brutton joined The Valley team in January 2008 and brings many years of bookkeeping experience including the last eight years in a non-profit setting.  Primary responsibilities include full-charge bookkeeping duties (accounts payables, receivables and preliminary month end closing).

Prior to joining The Valley, Brutton was an accounting assistant with the St. Louis-based American Optometric Association where her responsibilities encompassed a wide range from accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, collections and travel.  Aside from her day-to-day accounting tasks, she was instrumental before, during and after the annual conventions of The AOA assisting staff, members, volunteers and the general public with on-line and on-site registration.  Prior to AOA, she performed bookkeeping duties also as an assistant to CFO Rich Steed while he was the Business Manager at the Moolah Shrine Center.

Before entering the non-profit sector, Brutton dedicated 17 years to corporate America working for a then major retailer headquartered in the St Louis region.  During this period, she was involved in retail store organization, the corporate office and finally the distribution center.  

Throughout her years in the workforce, Brutton pursued her B.A. in Business Administration from Lindenwood University, graduating in May 2006.  Born and raised in the St. Louis area, she resides in the St. Peters area.

Maxine Day

Maxine Day is in her 15th year as executive assistant for the Valley.

Day came to the Valley with vast administrative, office management, and marketing experience having previously worked for Dow Chemical in St. Louis before transferring to the Los Angeles office.  She has also held administrative positions for Ropak Corporation and Sealed Air Corporation. After returning to St. Louis, she accepted a position as Administrative Assistant for the Continental Basketball Association where her duties included office management and game operations until the CBA league office relocated to Phoenix.

Day’s duties at the Valley include coordination of conference meetings, assisting with office management/administration, providing marketing assistance with The Valley sponsor hotel network, and working with the league’s annual basketball tournaments and NCAA events.  In addition to her Valley duties, Day also serves as executive assistant to the Commissioner of the Missouri Valley Football Conference where she is responsible for meeting planning, event logistics, as well as general office management/administration.

A graduate of Ford City (Pa.) High School, she continued her education at Hickey School of Business in St. Louis and Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA with concentrated studies in marketing.  She has two daughters:  Gloria and Ashleigh.

Carla Fight

Carla Fight became a full-time member of The Valley staff in January 2004, hired as Assistant to the Commissioner.

Fight joined The Valley family after 24 years in the airline/travel industry. She is no stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference as Fight had been a volunteer for the State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament for 13 years prior to taking over her current role in 2004.

Her career has kept her working mainly with St. Louis airlines. For two years preceding her appointment at The Valley, she was Manpower Coordinator for American Airlines’ Premium Services Department.

Before her move to American Airlines, Fight worked for Trans World Airlines for 22 years. At TWA, she was a manager for the Ambassadors Club network, a position that put her in daily contact with the airlines most valued customers.

At The Valley office, Fight provides daily administrative support for the conference commissioner as well as special projects. She also oversees travel for Valley staff, league officials and television talent.  Fight also handles the league’s merchandise program and student-athlete and administrator gift programs.

Branden Miller

Miller enters his second full academic year with the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and will continue be integral in helping to lead MVC Sports Properties’ relationship with the Conference.  His responsibilities include; strategic corporate partnership program and product development, management of all sponsorship rights to MVC championship events, and the continued development of the league’s multi-state television package.

Miller joins MVC Sports Properties and the MVC from his previous role as an Account Executive at Learfield’s flagship institution, Mizzou Sports Properties. While at Mizzou, he performed multiple roles; corporate sponsorship sales, football and basketball game day operations, game program and print development, and helped develop multiple digital programs surrounding the Universities Official Athletics Site and social media.

A Kansas City, Missouri native, Miller is a 2006 graduate of the University of Missouri, where he studied Sociology.  He has been married four years to his wife Sarah and enjoys a unique and active lifestyle that includes; ultimate Frisbee, banjo, and art.

Brian Rhame

In the spring of 2011, Learfield Sports appointed Brian Rhame account executive for its locally based “MVC Sports Properties” entity. Rhame works alongside General Manager Branden Miller and the Missouri Valley Conference staff to oversee all components of MVC’s relationship with the collegiate marketer.

As exclusive marketer for the Conference, Learfield Sports assists MVC with comprehensive corporate sponsorships, media and branding opportunities. Prior to joining MVC Sports Properties, Rhame served as Territory Manager for CCP Industries in the greater St. Louis area.  Before that, he was the Director of Special Events for Kirkwood’s St. John Vianney High School for five years. Rhame received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Central Arkansas in 2001, where he was a member of the Bears’ football team. He and his wife, Nicolle, reside in Webster Groves, Mo.