| Dr. Robert J. Dranoff | ||
| Title | Commissioner | |
| rdranoff@eccsports.org | ||
| Phone | 631 348-3451 | |
Dr. Robert J. Dranoff, was named the fifth Commissioner of the East Coast Conference (ECC) April 30, 2008 and commenced duties June 15, 2008.
"The opportunity to return to a conference with which I am very familiar makes this a great fit," noted Dranoff upon his appointment. "Being part of the ECC is not only about providing championship opportunities, it's also about creating and building community service and helping the student-athletes truly enjoy their collegiate experience."
Dranoff has been involved in college athletics in the New York metropolitan area for nearly 30 years. He began his career as Assistant Director of Athletics at St. Johns University in 1978 before moving to the position of Director of Athletics at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury from 1988 through 1992.
From 1992 to 2004, Dranoff was Director of Athletics at ECC member Dowling College. During that period he was also very involved in conference management activities, acting as President and Past President as well as serving on various ECAC and NCAA committees. In recognition for his work at Dowling, he was inducted into the Dowling College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
Following his tenure at Dowling, Dranoff moved to Suffolk County Community College where he held the title Assistant Dean of Student Services and Director of Athletics. While serving Suffolk, Dranoff has also served as the Men's Regional Director of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XV, and 18-institution regional athletic conference. He held those positions until 2008 when he was appointed Commissioner of the ECC.
In addition to his work with the conference, Dranoff is active in the community with involvement in several organizations and instructs and presents to student and adult groups as well as college classes in the area of youth violence and bullying issues. He also is an adjunct professor in Sport Management at St. John?€™s and Dowling College.
A 1978 graduate of St. John's University with a degree in Athletic Administration, Dranoff earned a Master of Science Degree concentrating in counselor education from St. John's in 1984 and his Doctorate in Education concentrating on Educational Administration from Dowling in 2006. He resides in Sayville, N.Y. with his wife Ann and two daughters, Alexandra and Kathryn.
| Melissa Perry | ||
| Title | Assistant Commissioner | |
| mperry@eccsports.org | ||
| Phone | (631) 348-3453 | |
Melissa enters her first year as Assistant Commissioner after serving a two-year stint as the Director of Media Relations for the conference. She will maintain her title as the conference Senior Woman Administrator.
Perry is responsible for coordinating the conference's compliance program which includes providing compliance support to the conference institutions, overseeing participation in the National Letter of Intent and Coaches Certification Programs and processing violations and waiver requests. Her duties also include oversight of the budget and business office.
In addition, Perry is responsible for all student development programming and community outreach. She assisted with the creation of a two-day conference emphasizing character development and leadership skills in which student-athletes from all ECC institutions participate. Additionally, she serves as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor and helped to establish a conference-wide community engagement program for local youth.
Perry started her career at Dowling College where she served as the Director of Athletic Communications and S.A.A.C. Advisor. During her tenure at Dowling, she managed the day-to-day demands of the athletic media office as well as developed relationships with local and national media outlets. As the SAAC Advisor, Perry established community service initiatives including a year-long partnership with the "Keep Islip Clean" organization and spearheaded fundraisers for the NCAA Division II Make-A-Wish campaign. Additionally, she organized the annual Athletic Awards Banquet and served as the Host Sports Information Director for numerous NCAA events.
After Dowling, Perry held a brief stint with the American Heart Association working as a Special Events Assistant for the "Go Red for Women" movement.
A Long Island native, Perry graduated from Ithaca College in 2005 with a degree in Sports Management and a minor in Economics and went on to receive her MBA in Public Administration at Dowling College.
| Casey Rafferty | ||
| Title | Director of Media Relations | |
| crafferty@eccsports.org | ||
| Phone | 631-348-3452 | |
Casey Rafferty was named Director of Media Relations on October 11, 2010.
Rafferty is no stranger to the East Coast Conference, spending two years as a member of the Dowling College baseball team and then serving as an assistant in the Athletic Communications office after graduation. During his time at Dowling, Rafferty assisted in the promotion and publicity of their 15 NCAA varsity athletic programs. He served as the primary media contact for the women's soccer, men's basketball, women's lacrosse and baseball programs, which entailed staffing all home contests, providing statistical support and maintaining the athletic website along with securing feature stories in local media outlets such as Newsday, Bigapplesoccer.com and Baseball Player Magazine.
In addition, Rafferty was responsible for designing game-day programs, media guides and promotional materials for the athletic department and headed the technical aspects of the Dowling Athletics Awards Banquet which entailed video editing and presentation design.
Prior to Dowling, Rafferty spent a year as the Sports Information Director at Suffolk County Community College and oversaw the media relations of the college's 12 athletic programs. Additionally, he served as the Assistant Tournament Director for the NJCAA Cross Country National Championship, Region XV Men and Women's Basketball Tournament and Region XV Baseball Tournament.
A native of Averill Park, N.Y., Rafferty graduated from Dowling with a degree in Sport Management. He went on to receive an MBA, also at Dowling, in General Management and Leadership.
