SCSU's Jane Delahunt receives MIAMA Al Payne Conference Grant
9/25/2020 10:42:00 AM | General, Men's Hockey, Women's Hockey
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St. Cloud State University graduate Jane Delahunt, who recently was named the Assistant Director of the University's Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, is the recipient of a Al Payne Conference grant from the Minnesota Ice Arena Managers Association (MIAMA).
The $2000 award will allow Delahunt to attend the 2021 MIAMA conference at Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids, Minn. The grant was originally designated for 2020, but the conference has been moved up a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Al Payne Conference Grant is named after Alan K. Payne who worked at the Richfield Ice Arena from January 3, 1980 until he passed due to cancer in 2007. Payne was a former MIAMA President (1988-89) and long-time Secretary/Treasurer (1996-2007). The grant includes registration fees and lodging, and the conference features professional development and training, networking opportunities and a trade show.
The conference is open to all ice arena managers in the state and the courses offered at the four-day conference can be used toward U.S. Ice Rink Association certification (CIT - Certified Ice Technicians or CRA - Certified Rink Administrators). Delahunt currently has courses completed in Basic Arena Refrigeration and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations. She needs one more course for CIT certification, which she hopes to obtain at the workshop.
The grant application process included submission of a resume, a letter of application for the grant and a letter of recommendation. The MIAMA Board of Directors reviews the applicants and selects the recipients from that pool.
One of the rising young stars in the field of ice arena management, Delahunt started in her full-time position at SCSU on July 1, 2020. Jane DelahuntA 2019 graduate of SCSU with a degree in marketing, Delahunt is currently working toward her graduate degree in sports management at St. Cloud State.
A familiar face around the ice rink at SCSU, Delahunt was a student-worker during her undergraduate days and started out as a ticket taker at the HBNHC as a freshman. She later trained to become one of the HBNHC facility managers and assisted with facility operations. As a graduate student, Delahunt began to schedule and manage the HBNHC's part-time staff under the leadership of HBNHC Director Cory Portner.
She currently is responsible for the hiring and training of all part-time employees and scheduling for the facility. This includes scheduling ice time for SCSU hockey, Saint John's University hockey and youth hockey along with scheduling facility space for events and programs. She coordinates event and facility details for all groups using the building. Delahunt will also help front of the house operations during SCSU hockey games when play resumes in 2020-21.
"I get an opportunity to do a bit of everything with this position," Delahunt said.
"We are proud of Jane's (Delahunt) hard work and accomplishments. In a short amount of time she has shown the ability to adapt and react to the fast-pace of the ice rink industry," Portner said. "Her commitment to ongoing professional development, coupled with a Master's in Sports Management studies will no doubt translate into long-term success at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center and any future endeavor she chooses."
A native of Stillwater and grad of Stillwater High School, Delahunt worked with her high school hockey team and youth association as a manager doing stats, video and helping with youth camps/programs prior to her college days. Her interest in hockey and the academic offerings made St. Cloud State a perfect fit for Delahunt's college future.
"The Division I hockey program here at SCSU was a big attraction for me and I was very interested in what the business school had to offer in terms of academics."
When she arrived at SCSU, she looked at a job posting for work at arena and talked with former facility director Joe Meierhofer about joining the staff as a student worker.
"I slowly started working here at the arena, and I have worked my way up from there," Delahunt said.
"SCSU has been a great place to get my education and begin my career. My position at SCSU offers me a unique experience. I really like the arena side of operations as the job allows me to work with multiple user groups and it provides me with a good variety of interesting challenges each day."
Although she is just beginning her professional career, Delahunt would like to remain in the ice arena business and build on the experiences she has gained at St. Cloud State.
"I am really open to whatever opportunities come about but I would really like to stay in the operations side of the business."
