Danny Blandford to Lead the Association of Collegiate Anglers
OutdoorHub 07.25.11
San Antonio, Texas, July 25, 2011 – The Association of Collegiate Anglers has appointed a new Program Director to lead the organization and its marquee events, including the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. Danny Blandford of Indiana is now leading the efforts of the organization with an emphasis on program, business, and membership development.
“We’re excited to add Danny Blandford to our team, his passion and dedication to the sport of fishing all started with college fishing several years ago when he was in school at Indiana University. That same dedication and passion will help to grow college bass fishing even more as he helps to promote the Association of Collegiate Anglers and our events that we support nationwide,” said Wade Middleton, President of CarecoTV.
As the Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers and the “BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series,” the nation’s largest collegiate tournament circuit, Blandford will be involved with tournament operations as well, while continuing to build the circuit’s brand and new opportunities for the collegiate anglers.
Blandford comes to the Association of Collegiate Anglers with a unique blend of industry experience including both collegiate and organizational leadership. Beginning with Public Relations and ending with four years as President of the Indiana University Bass Club, Blandford led one of the nation’s oldest collegiate fishing teams at a time when college fishing was just beginning to smolder in the mid-west. Since his graduation, the sport has expanded to hundreds of schools and thousands of competitors, while his own resume of projects grew as well. Most recently, serving as Program Director of Professional Anglers Association, his tenure produced double-digit membership growth, extensive sponsorship development, and a strong overall expansion of the organization online, on television, and in print.
“This is a special opportunity for me personally,” Blandford said. “My time as President of the Indiana University Bass Club inspired me to chase dreams, work hard and be a leader. I can honestly say that collegiate fishing changed my life for the better and set me on a path to work in an industry I set my sights on when I was just a boy. To have an opportunity to give back in such an influential way is something I’ve been looking for since first seeing the potential of collegiate fishing firsthand in the late 90’s. I’m very excited for this new endeavor and the future of the Association of Collegiate Anglers.”