Wilkins, Petrotta named to Wichita State staff

{WICHITA, Kan.) — Russell Wilkins and Brian Petrotta have been named Assistant Athletics Director for Ticket Operations and Assistant Director of Media Relations, respectively, at Wichita State University, Director of Athletics Eric Sexton announced today.

Wilkins spent the last two years as the Assistant Director for Ticket Operations at Wichita State.  He managed ticketing software including online ticket sales as well as handling deposits and reconciling revenue reports for ticket operations.  He also handled all types of customer service issues, managed the ticket office staff, handled the renewal of season tickets and worked with the development office to increase donations with ticket incentives.
 
The Wichita native earned a bachelor’s degree in sport administration from Wichita State in 2008. He started working in the WSU Ticket Office in the fall of 2007, where he assisted customers with telephone, online and in-person ticket purchases, ran ticketing operations for outside groups and events, and trained and managed game day staff.

Prior to his time at WSU, Wilkins worked for the Wichita Wild indoor football team where he was involved in ticket sales, ran in-game promotions, solicited game sponsorships and assisted with day-to-day operations.
 
“I’m very excited about promoting Russell in our ticket office, he was part of a national search and proved himself worthy to take on this new responsibility,” Sexton said. 
 
Petrotta comes to WSU after serving as the Director of Sales for Shocker Radio since June 2009.  He also has been the play-by-play voice of the Shocker Women’s Basketball team since 2008, and will continue to be the play-by-play broadcaster for all WSU women’s basketball games.  
 
Prior to his job with Shocker Radio, Petrotta served as the Sports Information Director at Newman University in Wichita from August 2008-May 2009.  While at Newman, he was responsible for all aspects of media relations for the athletic department, handled game day operations, wrote and produced publications, and maintained the athletics website.
 
Petrotta also worked as the Sports Information Director at Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., from Sept. 2006-Sept. 2007. Petrotta has also worked in professional baseball in both media relations and as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Vero Beach Dodgers, the Ogden Raptors, the Michigan Battle Cats and the Idaho Falls Braves and in professional basketball with the Des Moines Dragons.
 
The Sterling, Kan., native earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast management from the University of Kansas in 2002.
 
“I am glad to bring Brian into our media relations department,” Sexton said.  “He brings a wealth of experience and will be a great addition to the Shocker family.”