Reading, Pa. (May 12, 2026) – Alvernia University Director of Athletics and Recreation Cory Beddick announced on Tuesday the transition of Marisa Lombardo to a newly created position within the Alvernia Athletics Department as the Assistant Athletic Director for Recreation and Operations.

Lombardo, who has been with Alvernia in a full-time capacity since 2018, will transition out of her role as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and into the new role of Assistant Athletic Director for Recreation and Operations in the coming weeks.

"Alvernia University is committed to providing recreational opportunities for our students and campus community," said Beddick. "The creation of this position reflects the university's proactive approach to ensuring these opportunities continue to grow in ways that build community, promote lifelong fitness and wellness, and create meaningful student employment opportunities."

In the newly created role, Lombardo will work to create recreation and intramural programming. She will oversee the operations of the University's Fitness Center and work to build intramural programming for the campus community. In addition, she will continue her work with game day operations for the Athletic Department, will take on sport oversight and facility duties, and will take a lead role in the leadership and potential expansion of Alvernia's club sport offerings.

"I am extremely thankful to Cory for this chance and excited for this new opportunity," said Lombardo. "Intramurals and recreation were a big part of my time here as a student over ten years ago. I am excited to have a part in bringing that experience back for the campus community and enhancing the student-experience for Alvernia students, both in and out of athletics. I am also grateful to be able to do that alongside the game operations piece of the job that I have come to love."

Lombardo, a 2017 and 2018 graduate of Alvernia, has been with the Athletic Communications office in a full-time capacity since receiving her Masters from Alvernia in 2018. In 2021, she was promoted to Director of Sports Information and Operations, and in 2025 to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Operations. As a graduate assistant and student-worker as an undergraduate, she both worked within and had a supervisory role in Alvernia's intramurals program and in the Fitness Center.

"Marisa is the ideal candidate for this position because of the strong relationships she has built with students across campus, her experience leading our athletic communications team, and her extensive background with intramurals during both her undergraduate and graduate experiences at Alvernia."

During her time in Athletic Communications, Lombardo was honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC) as a 30 Under 30 Recipient, was featured as a CSC Woman to Watch, and earned writing and graphic design recognition. 

Lombardo, alongside Nick Anderson and Kyle Storti in the Athletic Communications office, implemented new series, projects, and levels of coverage that helped Alvernia enhance the coverage of its teams and student-athletes. Since 2021, Alvernia's social media following grew by over 200% and went from streaming a select number of events to nearly every home contest throughout the year.

"While we are excited that Marisa will be transitioning into this new role, we would be remiss if we did not recognize and thank her for her over five years leading our athletic communications office," said Beddick. "She has elevated the experience of our student-athletes through enhanced website coverage, creative and engaging social media content, expanded streaming and broadcasting opportunities, and a stronger overall visibility for our athletic programs."

"Beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, Marisa has been a trusted mentor, collaborator, and advocate for our student-athletes and staff," added Beddick. "Her professionalism, creativity, and commitment to excellence have left a lasting impact on our department and campus community, and we are excited to see her continue to make a difference in this new position."

"It was a bittersweet and tough decision to make this move," said Lombardo. "It has been a privilege to be the story teller of our amazing student-athletes for the last eight years. But I am excited for this opportunity to work with the campus community and support our students in a new way."

"I also could not have done what I've done without the amazing work of Nick and Kyle the last few years, as well as Logan McGinley in my first years in this position," added Lombardo. "They bought into the vision I had for what we could do and accomplish, and made all the outstanding work we have done possible."  

Lombardo will begin transitioning into her new role in the coming weeks, with an official start date of July 1.