Ohio Valley Conference

 

Heather Brown joined the Ohio Valley Conference staff in 2003 and served the League until her death in October 2023 after a battle with breast cancer. In the nearly 80-year history of the League, no full-time staff member has ever worked at the OVC office longer than Brown.

She was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame in May 2024.
 
Her association with the league began with a 10-month internship before she was hired full-time as the Assistant Director of Media Relations. She held that role until being promoted to Director of Media Relations in December 2006. In August 2016 her title changed to Director of Communications to better reflect the changing job responsibilities associated with collegiate athletics.

 
 
As part of her role at the OVC she worked primarily with women’s sports, making sure the student-athletes she worked for garnered their deserved accolades. In 2013, she helped plan the OVC’s Title IX Celebration Luncheon, an event that capped off a year-long celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Title IX. At the Conference office a big part of any staff members role is to work Championship events. Brown worked over 100 OVC Championships during her tenure, including serving as the media coordinator for the sports of women’s soccer, volleyball, softball and tennis and assisting in that role with basketball and baseball.
 
In addition to the many OVC Championships she worked over the years, she also left a legacy of working NCAA Championship events, including helping coordinate the media activities of the 2005, 2012 and 2018 men’s basketball events in Nashville, as well as the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four (and event that included years of planning). At the OVC, she also coordinated social events, getting birthday cards for staff members (including giving them shoutouts on social media) and helping build a family atmosphere among Conference staff.
 
In January 2024 she was posthumously named the recipient of the Achievement Award - University Division by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). A native of West Liberty, Ohio, Brown was a 2003 graduate of Bowling Green State University.

In 2024, her family setup a Memorial Scholarship fund in Heather’s name, continuing her legacy of generosity and to support students who share her passion for sports. For more information visit the link at the top of the page.