But as Yakola has risen through the ranks during her 17-plus years at the ACC, some of her most important duties have kept her behind the scenes, leading the more internal types of communication between the conference office and the 15 member institutions.

The Clemson graduate joined the C-suite at the ACC in July 2014, and as the league’s chief of external affairs, she has become an important link from Greensboro out to Tallahassee, South Bend, Boston and points in between.

“Beyond our highly visible events and championships, I enjoy working on the behind-the-scenes elements, which are constantly evolving,” Yakola said. “In the past year, I’ve focused on expanding our communications with various groups, including having regular conference calls and meetings with the university-side external communications directors, having regular calls and meetings with my communications peers at other conferences, and working to enhance coverage of the ACC Academic Consortium.”

The consortium sponsors and supports academic initiatives that work across the ACC’s universities to benefit all students, not just athletes.

Yet even with her growing list of responsibilities, Yakola remains active on the marketing and PR front, working with the schools and host markets on publicity plans for ACC championships. She’s also part of the ACC’s leadership on site visits, something that’s integral in planning for the conference’s biggest annual events.

“It all funnels into the goal of elevating the perception of the league and our schools,” she said.

— Michael Smith