School to Career - New York Rangers - Community Relations Coordinator



	As Community Relations Coordinator, Anthony Zucconi is the contact person for all New York Rangers donation requests, alumni appearances, and community events. It is Anthony’s job to coordinate and execute community programs and activities. In the course of planning and running community programs and special activities, he also needs to maintain records of the events, which include the merchandise and all of the donations. In addition, he puts together travel arrangements for Ranger alumni who are attending special events. “You must exhibit good written and verbal communication skills,” says Anthony, who also says time management skills; attention to detail; being motivated and be able to make decisions and come up with solutions to problems that arise at events are also important skills for doing this job effectively. Not Your 9 to 5 Job Running community activities means working at all hours. While there are many hours spent in the office to complete various administrative and other office tasks, there are games and events that take place on weekends and weeknights, that the community relations coordinator must attend. It is also important to remember that you are representing an organization in the community. For Anthony, each task, and every activity reflects on the Rangers organization, so he must be dedicated and make a concerted effort to complete both large and small tasks to the best of his ability. Enjoy What You Do “Growing up I was always told to make sure you enjoy what you do in the workplace. So as someone who was always active in sports, I could not think of any other industry to get into,” says Anthony, who graduated from Ithaca College with a BS in Sports Management and a minor in Integrated Marketing Communication. Anthony, who credits Sport & Entertainment Marketing, Business Law and Computer Applications courses as being very significant also had an internship with a minor league baseball team (New Jersey Jackals) and in the marketing department of the New York Rangers. “I also did some volunteering with the Kiwanis organization, through Circle K and Key Club, growing up,” adds Anthony, who began working in Season Subscriptions as a Sales Representative at Madison Square Garden after college. “I worked there for 6 months selling Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty ticket plans,” explains Anthony, who then moved into the Ranger’s Community Relations department. “Work hard at all times on every task, each is important and people are always noticing what you are doing,” says Anthony as advice for anyone looking to get into a similar position. He also recommends that you utilize your resources such as professors at school, staff members at your internships, or alumni by asking them questions and getting their advice. “It definitely helps down the line because they’ve been there before,” says Anthony.