TOLEDO, OH – The University of Toledo athletic department has promoted five staff members into new positions, as well as adding two individuals in the areas of advancement and ticket sales, vice-president and Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced today.
 
            Moving into new positions are Dave Nottke, deputy director of athletics; Josh Dittman, assistant athletic director for development and premium seating; Heather Lutz, assistant athletic director for marketing, sales and fan experience;  Julia Shaw, athletic development operations specialist; and Ryan Murdock, gift processing coordinator for the UT Foundation. Additions to the program are Matt McKinney, athletic advancement officer/major gifts officer, and Justin Morelli, manager of ticket sales and service for the Aspire Group.
 
            "We are pleased and excited about the impact these individuals are having on the success of our athletic programs," said O'Brien. "A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes in a college athletic department. We are proud of the work they do and look forward to their continued efforts on behalf of our student-athletes and coaches."
 
            The following are the UT staffers who have recently been promoted or hired:
 
Dave Nottke: Dave Nottke has been promoted to deputy director of athletics.  He was previously the senior associate athletic director for development and external affairs from 2013-16.  Nottke will oversee the revenue producing areas of the department including development and major gift fundraising, marketing and promotions and ticket sales and operations.  He will also have oversight and serve as the department's liaison to Learfield Sports (Rocket Sports Properties), UT's multimedia rights holder and the Aspire Group, the ticket sales and service team.  Nottke will serve as the sport administrator for the Rocket Baseball program as well as assist the vice-president/director of athletics with other administrative duties.
 
The Bellevue, OH native is a graduate of the University of Toledo, earning his bachelor's degree in education in 1994 and his master of business administration in 1997.
 
Josh Dittman: Josh Dittman has been promoted to assistant athletic director for development and premium seating. Dittman started his work at UT as an intern and a graduate assistant in the athletic development office before assuming a full-time position in the summer of 2012 as an athletic development specialist.
 
The Toledo, OH native will be responsible for annual giving and management of the Rocket Fund program, as well as the coordination of all premium seating. He will also manage a portfolio of major gift prospects. Dittman earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Trine University in 2010 and his master of business administration from Toledo in 2012.
 
Heather Lutz: Heather Lutz has been named the assistant athletic director for marketing, sales and fan experience. Lutz joined the Rocket team in 2006 as the director of marketing sales and was promoted to the assistant athletic director for marketing and sales in 2012.
 
The Claflin, KS native will be responsible for marketing campaigns for all 16 sports. Lutz will direct all creative content, including radio, television and print advertising, ticket flyers, schedule cards and posters. She will coordinate in-game productions and activities, ticket sales for groups and other special promotions. Lutz is a graduate of Kansas State University, earning a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2003 and master's degree in sports administration in 2005.
 
Julia Shaw: Julia (Kudla) Shaw joined UT in 2013 as a graduate assistant in the athletic development office and was recently elevated to full-time status as an athletic development operations specialist. She will be responsible for development office operations, including benefit and parking coordination, special events, suite and stadium club services, and booster group coordination. Shaw earned her bachelor's degree in marketing and sports management from Lake Erie College in 2013 and her master of business administration from Toledo in 2015.
 
Matt McKinney: Matt McKinney has been hired as an athletic advancement officer/major gifts officer. He comes to UT from the University of Virginia where he was the associate director of development from 2006-15. McKinney will be responsible for increasing philanthropic support for the department of intercollegiate athletics. His focus will be on major gift fundraising from Alumni as well as other friends of the program. McKinney will work in the Toledo area and across the nation. McKinney earned his bachelor's degree in history from Davidson College in 1995 and his master's degree in education from Harvard in 2000.
 
Justin Morelli: Justin Morelli joined UT in January of 2016 as the manager of ticket sales and service for the Aspire Group. He will manage the Rocket Fan Relationship Management Center, season, group and single game ticket sales, and inbound and outbound ticket sales. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports management from Bowling Green in 2006.
 
Ryan Murdock: Ryan Murdock was previously a graduate assistant in the Toledo athletic development office before joining the UT Foundation in his role of gift processing coordinator in 2016. He will handle all athletic department gift processing, invoicing, pledge setup and other contribution related duties with the UT Foundation. Murdock earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from Eastern Michigan University in 2010 and his master of business administration from Toledo in 2013.