With the words “budget cuts” heard so frequently, Lindsay Dietmeier’s job is more important than ever. Dietmeier is a familiar face in the Pioneer Athletic Center and is in her second year as the Athletic Development Coordinator. She works primarily to raise funds to help support the department.
“What is unique about athletic departments is that they thrive and are very much supported by having sponsorships. Essentially anything that links back to drawing in dollars in some way, that’s kind of what my focus is on,” Dietmeier said.
Dietmeier works with a wide range of people in her job from coaches and student athletes to parents, alumni, friends, fans and corporate sponsors.
“We have to self-fund in the neighborhood of 45 to 47 percent of our operating dollars each year,” Athletic Director Mark Molesworth said. “Lindsay’s job is to help us generate those funds through outside sources.”
Dietmeier first began working for the athletic department as an intern while she was still a University of Wisconsin-Platteville student majoring in business administration. She was never a student athlete herself but played in the pep band and regularly attended games.
“I was not gifted with any kind of athletic ability on earth, which is kind of ironic since I work here,” Dietmeier said. “But I love sports, I’m very much a fan of sports.”
Dietmeier graduated from UW-Platteville in May 2013 and was offered her current job shortly after.
She said that one of the best parts of her job is the variation.
“We always joke that you never know exactly what is going to happen by the time you get to 5 p.m. each day,” Dietmeier said. “Things pop up but I think they keep life exciting.”
A lot has popped up in recent months, including the resignation of Sports Information Director Justin Bohn in February. Bohn left UW-Platteville for a position at Drake University in Iowa. Dietmeier said that the student workers who have filled in have been her saving graces.
“The students have done the work and done an awesome job of picking up what is essentially a full-time position,” Dietmeier said.
Dietmeier said that she enjoys that her position allows her to get out of the cubicle and meet people such as coaches and local business owners. She also enjoys working with all of the different sports teams.
“The fun thing about athletics is that I always say that every team is like having a child. So I have 16 kids and every team has its own personality, its own vibe,” Dietmeier said.
The work that Dietmeier does is also significant for UW-Platteville as a whole since a large part of it focuses on external relations.
“I think she has a true passion for what she is doing,” Jeff Gard, UW-Platteville Men’s Basketball head coach said. “She understands that the job she is into is much more than just the dollars and cents that are being raised. It’s about the relationships that are being developed.”