Moon Township, Pa. – RMU Vice President & Director of Athletics
Chris King '94 announced Wednesday that Danny Bonaventura '13 has been named Associate Athletics Director for student-athlete development.
"We're excited to welcome Danny back to RMU athletics," King said. "Danny is a natural leader who understands both the academic and athletic worlds, and his ability to relate with student-athletes will be a valuable asset to our athletics department. I have known Danny since he was an RMU football student-athlete and a sport management major and have followed his career since his graduation from RMU. His background as a student-athlete, his commitment to personal development and higher education and his passion for preparing student-athletes for life after sport will have a tremendous impact on current and future Colonials."
Bonaventura, a native of Hauppauge, N.Y., joins the Colonials after spending the last three-and-a-half years at the University of Pittsburgh. He began his tenure with the Panthers as the career consultant for student-athletes before being promoted to director of mentorship in July of 2021. As part of his role at Pitt, Bonaventura was the primary contact for the Panthers to Pros Mentorship Program, helping match student-athletes with mentors as well as recruiting new mentors and student-athletes to join the program.
"I feel incredibly grateful to be returning to RMU," said Bonaventura. "The chance to invest in the lives of our student-athletes at an institution that gave me so much is truly a blessing. People like Chris King, Dr. Artemisia Apostolopoulou, Dr. Dave Synowka, my wife, Grace, my parents and my brothers have been my biggest supporters and are a major reason why I'm here today."
As well as overseeing the Panthers To Pros Mentorship Program at Pitt, Bonaventura served as the co-chair for the Pitt Script for Life Internship Program while also serving as co-instructor for Life After Sport, a one-credit course for upperclassmen designed for Pitt student-athletes.
"The Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development position is a new and pivotal leadership role for athletics, and we appreciate President Dr. Michelle Patrick for seeing the value in what we see as a vital position for the betterment of our entire athletics department," King said. "The creation of this position allows the athletics department to provide expanded opportunities to reach our student-athletes, with a focus on personal development, professional development, leadership development and community engagement. This position aligns with our vision to elevate the student-athlete experience during this transformative time in college athletics."
Prior to his appointment at Pitt, Bonaventura served as academic specialist for the football program as well as the life skills coordinator for athletics at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He assisted and advised student-athletes in registration, scheduling courses and the selection of a major while helping football reach its highest APR number in program history. Bonaventura also helped create and run all aspects of the Cardinals Excellence Life Skills program at Lamar, including program development, marketing and implementation.
In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in sport management from RMU, Bonaventura earned a Master of Social Work from Tulane University in 2016. He served as a graduate assistant in the academic services center for student-athletes while with the Green Wave, mentoring student-athletes and assisting with organizational and communication skills.
Bonaventura, who spent four years as a student-athlete with the RMU football program, began his career as a ticket sales representative with Spurs Sports and Entertainment. While in San Antonio, Texas, Bonaventura was a member of the inside sales team. He is an active member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) and currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Membership Recruitment and Retention Committee.
Bonaventura and his wife, Grace, reside in the South Hills section of Pittsburgh.
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