Aug. 2, 2007

Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate Director of Athletics Mike Hall announces the hiring of Jules Bryant as Assistant Athletic Director for Development and Special Events and Katie Pate as Director of Marketing and Promotions. Both began their responsibilities at the University Wednesday.

"The addition of Jules and Katie to our athletic department is tremendous as we move forward with the reclassification to NCAA Division I," said Hall. "Both are extremely bright, driven individuals with exceptional skill. Both are also special people and we are excited to welcome them into our athletic department family."

Bryant is no stranger to the Spartanburg community. She spent the last seven years as the Executive Director of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitor's Bureau. She coordinated a myriad of projects and responsibilities, including the marketing efforts of the organization. She also helped recruit corporate partnerships to assist in the cost of running various events sponsored by the Bureau.

As part of her duties as Executive Director of the CVB, she also oversaw Team Spartanburg, the sports council of the CVB. Team Spartanburg has been active in several sport-related community events, including working with the Carolina Panthers' Training Camp, the Eye Opener Cross Country Meet, and the Goalball Championships, just to name a few.

Prior to her stint with the Spartanburg CVB, Bryant spent two years as the membership manager with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce (1998-2000). She was a branch manager at the Spartanburg office of StaffingSolutions from 1997-98, was the community director for the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation from 1996-97, and was an admissions counselor at Wofford College from 1993-96.

A 1993 graduate of Wofford with a bachelor's degree in Political Economy and Philosophy, Bryant is active in several community service organizations. She is currently a member of the Uptown Sertoma Club and was a past president of the civic organization. She is active in the Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association and formerly served on its Board of Directors and was a past president. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Shepherd's Center and is a recent graduate of Regional Fellows.

Pate came to Upstate from Belmont Abbey where she served as the head coach of the women's basketball team and the athletic department's Senior Woman Administrator from 2005-07. She is no stranger to the Spartanburg community or USC Upstate. She served as the assistant women's basketball coach at Upstate from 1999-2001. While at the University, she coordinated the summer girl's basketball camp and the fundraising efforts of the program through the Fast Break Club.

Pate's entire professional career has revolved around athletics. She began her career as an intern in the athletic department at Coker College in 1997 and became an assistant coach with the women's basketball program in 1998. She also assumed the responsibilities of coordinating the student employment efforts of the college. She left Coker to come to Upstate in 1999.

Pate left Upstate to return to Coker as the head coach of the women's basketball team in 2001 and led the Cobras to a single-season school record 19 wins in 2003-04. In addition to her coaching duties, she also worked in an administrative capacity as the Senior Woman Administrator during her stint at the institution. She left Coker in 2005 to take the head coaching position at Belmont Abbey where she also served in the athletic administration as the Senior Woman Administrator.

Throughout her stints as Senior Woman Administrator at Coker and Belmont Abbey, Pate was instrumental in the strategic planning of the athletic department at both institutions. She helped coordinate the marketing and promotions efforts of athletics at Coker and Belmont Abbey and helped organize and run conference tournaments hosted at both institutions.

Pate graduated from Coker in 1997 with bachelor degrees in Exercise Science and Spanish. While at Coker, she was a standout on the women's basketball team. She received a master's degree in Business Administration from Webster University in 2004.