Nancy Cross

Senior Associate Athletics Director-Athletics Development and Sports, SWA
E-mail: ncross@purdue.edu

Nancy Cross was named senior associate athletics director in July of 2004. She oversees five sports programs — men’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s tennis — as well as the John Purdue Club.

Cross has held numerous positions in the athletics department, including associate athletics director for marketing and development (199-2004), director of the John Purdue Club (1993-1999), assistant director of the John Purdue Club (1988-1993), promotions coordinator (1984-1988), head field hockey coach (1981-1988) and assistant women’s basketball coach (1979-1984).

During her tenure as field hockey coach, Cross led the Boilermakers to a 66-60-16 record. She was honored as Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 1987. She served as sport commissioner for field hockey for the 1987 Pan American Games and on the WGC local organizing committee in 1991.

Cross joined the Purdue staff as assistant field hockey and assistant women’s basketball coach in 1977 while earning her master’s degree in physical education. After successfully completing her master’s in 1978, Cross returned to her alma mater, Ashland (Ohio) College. At Ashland, she was head coach of both the women’s basketball team and women’s tennis team.

A native of Walpole, Mass., Cross has been very active in campus and community service. She has been the recipient of many campus honors and awards, including Outstanding Advisor by the Purdue Foundation Student Board and Outstanding Woman (sports category) by Greater Lafayette.

Kathy Amato

Director of Premium Seating and Ross-Ade Pavilion
E-mail: ksamato@purdue.edu

Kathy Amato joined the John Purdue Club in 2003 as assistant director for Ross-Ade Pavilion and Premium Seating. Kathy has held the position of director of Premium Seating and Ross-Ade Pavilion since 2005. Her primary responsibilities include premium seat stewardship and sales as well as supervision of Ross-Ade Pavilion events.

  

Prior to joining the John Purdue Club, Kathy worked for SMA (Strategic Marketing Association) selling club seats from 2001-2003. She managed Purdue Pride from 1998 to 2001 and was a buyer for JC Penney’s for 23 years.

 

Kathy and her husband, Gil, have two children and two grandchildren. They reside in Lafayette.

Mike Braughton

Senior Director, John Purdue Club Annual Giving/Membership
E-mail: mbraughton@purdue.edu

Mike Braughton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2006 as a senior director. His primary responsibilities include annual giving and membership as well as parking, stewardship and donor relations.

  

Prior to joining the John Purdue Club, Mike served as director of development for the POSSE, Oklahoma State University’s athletic scholarship fund since 2004. During his tenure at OSU, the annual fund increased revenues by 33 percent. Mike also served as executive director of the Tulsa (Okla.) Sports Commission, a non-profit arm of the Tulsa Metro Chamber, affiliated through the Tulsa Convention & Visitors’ Bureau. His other experience includes working with the United States Olympic Committee during the summers of 1997, 2001 and 2003, working in the International Games Preparation Division, which included travel logistics, games accreditation for United States delegations participating in international games.

 

He also has over six years of media relations experience as an intern with the New Orleans Saints, United States Olympic Committee and the Louisiana Tech sports information department. Braughton earned his BA in speech communications from Louisiana Tech in 1998. Mike and his wife, Paige, reside in West Lafayette.

Chris Clopton

Assistant Director
E-mail: cclopton@purdue.edu

Christopher Clopton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2007 as an assistant director after spending three seasons as a graduate assistant for the Purdue football team. His primary responsibilities include building the Varsity P Club by engaging former letter winners, student-athletes, managers, trainers and cheerleaders as well as donor cultivation and fundraising.

Chris was a four-year letter winner from 1997 through 2000 for Purdue football. He played wide receiver, running back and cornerback as well as a kickoff return specialist for the Boilermakers. Clopton’s 2000 season proved to be his finest as part of a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl team, he registered 41 tackles and four pass breakups. His total of 1,553 kickoff return yards is the second most in Purdue history, while his average of 21.3 yards ranks 16th all-time.

Chris played Arena 2 Football with the Bossier City-Shreveport (La.) Battle Wings in 2001, and he spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.

Chris earned a BS in computer information systems in the College of Technology in 2001 and an MS in educational technology in 2007. Chris and his wife, Bethany, reside in Lafayette.

Leroy Keyes

Assistant Director-Varsity P Club
E-mail: lkeyes@purdue.edu

Leroy Keyes joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2000 as an assistant director. His primary responsibilities include stewardship and donor relations as well as coordinating the annual Bogey Buster golf outings.

Previously, Keyes served as administrative assistant with the football program from 1996-2000 and before that coached the running backs in 1994-1995, including All-America fullback Mike Alstott in 1995. Interestingly, Alstott broke several of Keyes’ Purdue records and finished as Purdue’s career rushing leader with 3,635 yards.

Keyes was voted Purdue’s All-Time Greatest Football Player in 1987 in commemoration of Purdue’s Football Centennial Anniversary. He was also voted into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame in 1990 and was an inaugural inductee into Purdue’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 1994. A tailback and defensive back, he led the Boilermakers to the 1967 Big Ten Conference championship, was a two-time consensus All-American, 1967 Big Ten Most Valuable Player and runner-up in the 1968 Heisman Trophy balloting.

A native of Newport News, Va., Keyes was a first-round National Football League draft choice in 1969 and played five years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a desegregation specialist for the Philadelphia school district for 16 years and has been very involved in civic duties. Leroy earned his bachelor's degree from Purdue in 1969. Leroy and his wife, Monica, and their two sons reside in West Lafayette.

Brian Silotto

Director of Major Gifts
E-mail: bsilotto@purdue.edu

Brian Silotto, director for major gifts, has been with Purdue Athletics and the John Purdue Club since 2005. His primary responsibilities include major gift fundraising for capital campaigns, scholarship endowments and planned giving.

Brian’s 16-year career in higher education fundraising includes nine years as an annual giving director for colleges and universities in Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina, and three years of directing athletics fundraising at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Just prior to arriving at Purdue, Brian was serving as the vice president for advancement at his alma mater, Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.

Originally from Pleasant Plains, Illinois, Brian went to college on a baseball scholarship and graduated with a BA in English from Culver-Stockton in 1992, then went on to earn an MS in educational administration from Western Illinois University in 1996. Brian and his wife, Jodi, reside in West Lafayette.

Ebbie Thomas

Assistant Director-Communications 
E-mail: ebbiethomas@purdue.edu

Ebbie Thomas joined the John Purdue Club staff in the spring of 2008 as an assistant director. Her primary responsibilities include communications, design and production of materials to support John Purdue Club’s (and Varsity P Club’s) mission, goals and events as well as assisting with stewardship, donor cultivation, fundraising and travel.

Previously, Ebbie was a city manager for Arelco, Inc., and was responsible for bringing a struggling location to stable profitability. Under her guidance, the Lafayette location increased business while still maintaining an operating budget at or below company average. Ebbie also served as an instructor and assistant coach at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. While continuing her athletic career, Ebbie served as an assistant coach at the University of Idaho and the University of Louisville, respectively.

Ebbie (Metzinger) Thomas remains one of the top women’s pole vaulters in Purdue’s track and field history, competing for the Boilermakers from 1999-2002. She was a three-time Big Ten Champion and First-Team All-Big Ten selection, winning the 2000 Big Ten Outdoor Championship, and both the indoor and outdoor conference crowns in 2002. Thomas holds the Boilermakers’ top indoor mark in school history, clearing 4.25 meters (13-11.25) at Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray Invitational in 2002, and set the Lambert Fieldhouse record in 2004 with a clearance of 4.05 meters (13-03.50). She’s also tied for second all-time in the Boilermakers’ outdoor vault with a mark of 4.15 meters (13-07.25), holding the record for six years before it was tied and broken by just a centimeter in 2008. Thomas was also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Her highest mark of 4.35 meters (14-02.75) was recorded post-collegiately as she continued her vaulting career through 2006. A highlight of her post-collegiate career was qualifying for the 2004 Olympic trials and reaching the final round of competition.

Ebbie received her BA in communications (advertising and design) in 2002. Ebbie is married to Joel Thomas, assistant football coach–running backs at the University of Washington.

Rita Zawisza

Assistant Director-Events
E-mail: rzawisza@purdue.edu

Rita joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2003 as assistant director for events and stewardship. Her primary responsibilities include planning and implementing all John Purdue Club events, travel and Champion travel as well as advising the John Purdue Club student hosts and interns.  

Prior to joining the John Purdue Club, Rita was a director in the Purdue Alumni Association for 13 years, editor and assistant development director for the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (now the College of Liberal Arts), Publicity and Advertising Director for Purdue Theatre and a freshman composition instructor for six years at Purdue.   

Rita received a BA in communication in 1973 and an MS in education in 1982. Older daughter Gwyn received her MS in public relations in 2006 and younger daughter Jenn received her BS in apparel design technology in 2007.