THE LATEST COLONIALS CHELSEA BLAKELY Blakely joined the RMU Department of Athletics in August of 2019 as Deputy Director of Athletics, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). Blakely came to Robert Morris from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she has spent 10 years, including four as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations. She also spent the 2018-19 season as the program’s SWA. While with the Vaqueros, Blakely was involved in strategic planning and oversight of revenue generation, branding, fan experience, digital media, licensing and sports administration. Through marketing and communication strategies, Blakely led the development of an external operations plan designed to increase brand awareness and build brand affinity. A native of Houston, Texas, Blakely was a volleyball student-athlete for the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 2009. She is the program’s all-time career leader in assists with 3,905. Two years later, while serving as a graduate assistant with UTPA, she earned her MBA, also in marketing. In her role at Robert Morris, Blakely is responsible for fostering a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusiveness throughout all levels of the organization and also serves as sport administrator for volleyball, softball and women’s lacrosse.
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2019-20 RMU ANNUAL REPORT
Robert Morris welcomed a number of new administrative staff and head coaches to the university in 2019-20. A look at the new Colonials …
KIM GRAHAM
NELLE STAHURA Graham joined RMU as Deputy Director of Athletics, Chief Marketing Officer in August of 2019.
Graham joined the staff at Robert Morris after spending a year at UTRGV as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Operations. In his role with the Vaqueros, Graham managed and oversaw all areas of athletic events and facility operations. He does the same for the Colonials, directing oversight on event management, facility maintenance, equipment operations, facility master planning, capital projects, food and beverage operations, camps and championships. Graham also directs the day-to-day operations for several student welfare areas, including sports medicine and strength and conditioning. He will also serve as the sport administrator for football, cross country and track & field, rowing and golf. During his career in collegiate athletics, Graham served as the Director of Athletics at both Liberty University (19972005) and Shorter University (2015-16). During his time leading the athletic department at Liberty, the Flames won five Big South Conference Sassar Cup Awards as well as the first two Big South Men’s All-Sports Awards. Graham served as Senior Associate Athletic Director at Southeastern Louisiana from 2006 to 2008 before serving in the same capacity at Campbell University from 2008 to 2015. Graham owns a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and a Master of Arts degree in secondary education, both from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. An NAIA All-American in football, he was inducted into the Georgetown Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019.
Stahura was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student-Athlete Development in June of 2020. Stahura spent five years as head coach of the RMU rowing program and overall has spent nine years with the program. She was named head coach Oct. 27, 2015, after spending the previous four years as an assistant coach. During her time as head coach with the Colonials, Stahura helped oversee the development of the Midge McPhail Boathouse on Neville Island, the home for the Robert Morris rowing program. At the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Championships (MAAC), each of the three boats to compete, the Varsity 8, Second Varsity 8 and Varsity 4, advanced to the Grand Final for the first time in program history. The Second Varsity 8 highlighted the championships by earning bronze with a time of 7:26.521. Stahura, a native of Butler, Pa., earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication with a concentration in advertising from Robert Morris in 2007. She was a four-year letterwinner with the rowing program, earning team most valuable player (MVP) honors as a sophomore in 2004-05 while serving as team captain during her senior season in 2006-07.
