Properties
Virginia Tech ISP Sports Network
250 South Main Street, Suite 224
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 961-7604
Fax: (540) 961-7606
Official Athletic Website
http://www.hokiesports.com/isp/
Rick Barakat
Vice President and General Manager
Rick joined ISP Sports in Winter 2004 as an Associate GM at Virginia Tech and was promoted to Assistant VP and General Manager for the company's staff in Blacksburg in January 2006. In December 2008, Rick was promoted again, and is now Vice President and General Manager of the Virginia Tech ISP Sports Network. He joined ISP after building a solid background in sports marketing with established companies such as Raycom Sports/ACC Properties and GMR Marketing in Charlotte. Rick is a 2005 ISP Chairman's Cup winner for the General Manager's Division. Rick worked previously as an intern at the ACC office and has experience with the athletic programs at the University of North Carolina and University of Georgia. He is a '96 UNC graduate (Business Administration) and holds a Master's in Sports Management from Georgia.
Bill Roth
Assistant Vice President/Director of Broadcast Operations
A voice familiar to Virginia Tech fans everywhere, Bill has been the play-by-play broadcaster for Hokie football and basketball games since 1988. A native of Pittsburgh, Bill also serves as host of the weekly coaches' radio call-in and television shows. He is a 1987 Broadcast Journalism graduate of Syracuse University, where he won the distinguished Bob Costas Scholarship. Bill has been named the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year seven times during his career.
Jeff Shumate
Associate General Manager
Jeff joined the ISP Sports team at the Virginia Tech property in January 2006 as Assistant General Manager and was promoted to Associate GM in February 2008. In his role, Jeff assists in all aspects of sales, sponsorship fulfillment and management of the property. Prior to ISP, Jeff was an area marketing manager for Nextel Partners based in Roanoke, where he worked with that Nextel’s sponsorship of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Overall, he has 17 years of sales and marketing experience. Jeff is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kevin Klammer
Senior Account Executive
Kevin joined the Virginia Tech ISP Sports Network in January of 2008 as a Senior Account Executive. Kevin has developed a sound background in sports marketing having worked for the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and Cumulus Broadcasting, both as Account Executives. Kevin earned a B.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Florida in 2003 and a M.S. in Sports Administration in 2005.
Ashleigh Waddle
Marketing Assistant
Ashleigh joined the Virginia Tech ISP Sports Network in the summer of 2009 as a Marketing Assistant. Prior to ISP, she served as a research assistant in Blacksburg where she co-wrote three publications. Ashleigh graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences and Dairy Science. She went on to receive her Masters in Agriculture and Applied Economics, Business and Marketing from Virginia Tech in 2009.
Kyle Winchester
Senior Account Executive
Kyle accepted the full-time position as Account Executive for the Virginia Tech property in July 2006, after a six month internship at the Clemson property. In his role, Kyle will be responsible for sponsorship sales for the Hokies, as well as coordinating the various aspects of sponsorship fulfillment. Kyle brings additional experience to this role from his internship with Tar Heel Sports Marketing and Lowe's Motor Speedway. He graduated with a B.S. in Communication Studies and Political Science from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.