Daniella Irle has been promoted from associate athletics director to senior associate athletics director for internal operations; Sean Johnson has been promoted from associate athletics director to senior associate athletics director for external operations; Lisa Persuitti has been promoted from director of athletics marketing to assistant athletics director of athletics marketing; and, Jayson Hajdu has been promoted from director of athletics media relations to assistant athletics director for media relations.

"These promotions are recognition of the tremendous work and expanded responsibilities each of these individuals have taken on for UND athletics," said Faison.

Irle has served as UND's associate athletic director for internal operations and senior woman administrator since Aug. 2008.
Her day-to-day duties include departmental oversight of the compliance office, athletics academic services, strength and conditioning, sports medicine and various sports as assigned by the athletics director. Irle also serves as departmental liaison with various campus entities such as admissions, residence services, Dean of Students office, Student Success Center, the registrar's office, student financial aid, the University Counseling Center, Student Account Services, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).

Irle came from the Tulane University, where she served as the assistant athletics director of business and student services operations.

Prior to that appointment, Irle spent three seasons as the head coach of the Tulane women's swimming and diving team, restarting the program after a 13-year hiatus. She was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Irle also spent 10 years as the Fresno State swimming and diving coach. The Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995, 79 of her swimmers broke Fresno State school records.

Other stops for Irle include the University of Texas and LSU.

Johnson has served as the associate athletic director for external operations for UND athletics since Aug. 2008.

Johnson oversees all marketing, broadcasting, ticket sales efforts and corporate relationships for the department as well as serving as a sport supervisor.

Johnson most recently was the associate athletics director of external operations and sports information director at the University of Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Johnson also spent five years at New Mexico State University, serving as sports information director, and in the final year and half, the associate athletics director.

Johnson is a 1983 graduate of the University of Missouri. His other stops have included Lincoln University, the University of Missouri- St. Louis, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Angelo State, the University of Idaho and the University of North Texas.

Persuitti has served as UND's athletics marketing director since July 2008.

Persuitti's responsibilities include the marketing of UND athletics, in-game promotions, student ticket plans and management of UND athletics student ticket office located in the Memorial Union, donation requests, and student-athlete appearances. She also oversees and advises Sioux Crew, the department's student-athletic booster organization.

Persuitti spent the past year as a marketing assistant at UND and as the director of Sioux Crew. In addition to spending the last three years as an executive member of Sioux Crew, she has also served as a graduate assistant for the UND College of Business marketing department since January 2007.

In 2007 and 2006, Persuitti served as the director for The Big Event, UND's largest one-day community service project, organizing an average of 700 students to complete more than 65 community service projects in each of those years. She was the event's community relations chair in 2005.

Prior to her tenure as Sioux Crew president, Persuitti spent the 2006-07 season as a graduate assistant in UND's athletic media relations office. She was a media relations, marketing and game management intern at UND from 2004 to 2006 and has also interned for the Schwan's USA Cup and the Fort Myers (Fla.) Miracle minor league baseball team.

Persuitti, a native of Andover, Minn., obtained her master's degree in business administration from UND in May and received her bachelor's degree in communication from UND in 2005.

Hajdu just completed his second year as UND's director of media relations after spending six years as an assistant media relations director at UND. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the media relations office, which serves as a liaison between UND's administration, coaches and student-athletes and the local, regional, national and international media. Other responsibilities of his office include annual and gameday publications, FightingSioux.com, social networking initiatives, press box management and staffing for home events and historical archiving and research. Hajdu is the primary contact for UND men's hockey, men's and women's cross country and track and field, men's and women's golf and tennis.

A member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Hajdu has garnered 22 CoSIDA Publications Awards, including seven "Best in the Nation" citations.

In June of 2008, Hajdu was one of UND's 11 recipients of the North Central Conference Legacy Award.

Hajdu served as the Print Media Chairperson for 2005 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and was the Media Chairperson for the 2008 World Curling Federation World Men's Curling Championship. Both events were held in Grand Forks, N.D.

Hajdu is a 2000 graduate of UND with a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in history.

A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Hajdu served as a graduate assistant in the UND athletic media relations office in 2000 and 2001.

- Go Sioux -