Our Team

Director head shot

Nick Froelich

Director

Nick Froelich is quite familiar with recreation and wellbeing — it’s given him the opportunity to live in three states and develop his skills in various positions within Student Affairs. But when an opportunity arose in Cleveland back in 2011, he took it as a chance to come back home as he is a native of Perrysburg, Ohio. After serving in three distinct roles at CSU, Nick was promoted to Director in April 2016. When he’s not at work, you can find him spending time with his family, performing home improvement projects, pouring over his fantasy sports franchises, traveling, playing golf or rooting on the Red Sox, Buckeyes, Vikings, Cavs, and Browns.

Senior Associate Director, Programming & Operations head shot

Michelle Rieger, PhD

Senior Associate Director, Programming & Operations

Michelle Rieger has been a part of the Cleveland State University team since 2013. She has thirty plus years of experience in recreation and leadership through a combination of parks and recreation, private recreation, and campus recreation. Her first experiences in recreation came in Aquatics and Fitness. She currently oversees the operation of the Recreation Center and the Student Center on campus. Michelle’s team is made up of staff that specialize in wellbeing programming, facility operations, marketing and strategy, risk management, and staff development. Michelle is active in state and national industry organizations serving in leadership roles and as a presenter. Michelle has a B.S. in Psychology and a M.S. in Adult Education – Exercise Physiology from the University of Akron and a PhD in Leadership – Health and Human Performance from Concordia University Chicago. When she’s not working, Michelle can be found experiencing many of Cleveland’s favorite attractions, events, restaurants, or outdoor recreation venues.

Associate Director, Business & Finance head shot

Joe Stolitza

Associate Director, Business & Finance

Joe Stolitza has been working at the Rec Center almost since its opening. He was hired as Business Manager five months after the facility opened. Joe – a.k.a. Joe Money – handles all the financial and human resources aspects of the department. He enjoys working on the variety of tasks his job brings, and strives to put in place solid business practices to meet the changing dynamics of the Rec. His favorite part of working here is working with the students and watching how the Rec is constantly changing to keep up with current fitness and wellness trends. Joe enjoys golfing and cycling in his spare time.

 

Assistant Director, Marketing & Strategic Development head shot

Matt Schmiedl

Assistant Director, Marketing & Strategic Development

After graduating from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 2006, Matt started working at Penton Media in downtown Cleveland doing graphic design for the Buyers Guides division. In October of 2008, he moved to Meister Media Worldwide in Willoughby, OH, fulfilling a production, design, and project management role before moving into the Marketing department. Following a nearly five-year tenure with Meister, Matt joined the CSU Campus Recreation Services in August 2013. In his time at the CSU Rec Center, Matt has developed Recreation Services’ business plans and strategic direction and cultivated the “CSU Rec” brand to support our business goals as a wellness brand. He has developed and launched a number of initiatives to catalyze business growth, and implemented new marketing strategies to build engagement with both the CSU and Cleveland communities. Matt is a 9-time NIRSA Creative Excellence Award recipient (including 1st place wins in 2014, 2019, and 2022), the recipient of a CENTERS Quest for X Award in 2017, and the winner of an APEX Award of Excellence and Magnum Opus Honorable Mention Award, both in 2011.

In addition to putting his strategic thinking and creativity to use in his work, Matt has a blast creating content on his own social media channels and engaging with people around the world. In his free time, he loves to write and record his own music, enjoys cooking and baking, exploring the diverse world of wine, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family. Additionally, Matt also has a deep passion for fitness and wellness and loves to inspire people toward healthier living. He is an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, as well as a certified Bodypump® instructor and F45 coach.

Assistant Director, Student Center Operations head shot

Jason Mandula

Assistant Director, Student Center Operations

Jason currently serves as the Assistant Director – Student Center Operations, where he implements his knowledge of campus, facility operations, and connections with other departments to enhance the experience of students at CSU.  Jason’s favorite part of the job is interaction with patrons/guests and empowering his student staff to further their professional development in order to prepare them for after graduation.  Outside of work, you can typically find Jason cooking, reading, and traveling.

Assistant Director, Fitness & Wellness Programming head shot

Katie Blodorn

Assistant Director, Fitness & Wellness Programming

Katie began her career as an elementary teacher, but what she quickly realized is that she knew she wanted to do something more, but remain in the field of education. After speaking with a mentor, she decided to pursue all things fitness and wellness. Katie had always been an athlete and loved group exercise classes during her undergraduate career which made the transition seamless. She quickly got certified, worked at big box gyms, non-profits, and boutiques, and gained the majority of her experience as a Graduate Supervisor at CSU Rec which turned into the Assistant Director role years later. 

In her spare time, you will find her at Playhouse Square, wandering around a Cleveland Metropark, or hanging with her husband and cats in Old Brooklyn. She truly loves the city of Cleveland, her role within the rec, and being able to help others navigate their way throughout their wellness journey. 

Assistant Director, Facility Operations head shot

Chris Stewart

Assistant Director, Facility Operations

After graduating from Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing in 2013, Chris began working full time with Ohio State Rec Sports as an Administrative Program Assistant. He then moved to Texas to become the Graduate Assistant of Facilities at Texas A&M University while he completed his Master’s degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences. Following his time in College Station, Chris moved to Austin in June 2016 where he became the Assistant Director of Indoor Satellites at The University of Texas at Austin. Following his two and a half year tenure with UT Austin, Chris joined CSU Campus Recreation Services in December 2018. In his free time Chris loves to travel, play basketball and golf, fine-tune his guitar playing abilities, and attends a variety of concerts and music festivals.

Assistant Director, Competitive Sports & Aquatics head shot

Mackenzie Lamar

Assistant Director, Competitive Sports & Aquatics

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Film and Interactive Media and Master’s Degree in Adult Learning and Development from Cleveland State University, Mackenzie started her full-time career in campus recreation as the Coordinator of Competitive Sports & Camps in 2020. After starting as a student employee back in 2015, Mackenzie worked her way through various campus recreation areas in a multitude of positions, which helped develop her passion for the industry. Most recently, she was promoted to the Assistant Director of Competitive Sports & Aquatics, where she has the opportunity to grow another program area within University Recreation and Wellbeing. Mackenzie also coaches various F45 classes – one of our premium fitness programs here at the Rec Center! In her free time, Mackenzie likes watching new movies, reading, exercising, and spending time with friends and family.

Coordinator, Building Maintenance head shot

Brian Boesch

Coordinator, Building Maintenance

Brian Boesch is one of the first people to arrive at the Recreation Center every morning. As Building Maintenance Manager, Brian arrives before sunrise to ensure the facility is up and running before it opens each day. With more than 30 years experience in the maintenance industry, Brian is very skilled at his job. His favorite part of working at the Recreation Center is working with the young student staff. He enjoys training and teaching the staff new things that they may not learn elsewhere. Brian believes the facility has progressed a lot in the past six years, and he would like to see the Recreation Center continue to bring in good quality staff members who are eager to learn and work. Brian also works for the Lake Erie Monsters and attends many hockey games in his spare time.

Coordinator, Marketing & Advertising head shot

Mikayla Colston

Coordinator, Marketing & Advertising

Mikayla started her experience with the CSU Recreation Center as a fitness instructor for Pink Gloves Boxing while she was a student at Cleveland State University. She continued on to work as a Graphic Designer and F45 instructor at the CSU Recreation Center and as an design researcher while earning her Bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 2020. She continued on as a freelance graphic designer for small businesses while working at a digital marketing agency as a visual designer before returning to the Cleveland State Recreation Center as the Coordinator of Marketing and Advertising. Outside of work, Mikayla loves volunteering and creating various pieces of artwork, including painting and music.

Coordinator, Operations & Membership Services head shot

Cameron Johnson

Coordinator, Operations & Membership Services

After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Recreation & Sport Management at Indiana State University, Cam decided to continue his studies and pursue a Master’s degree in Sport Management at Cleveland State University. Cam has years of experience in campus recreation services. Prior to coming to Cleveland State, Cam worked as a Building Supervisor and as an Operations Intern at Indiana Sate University. During his down time Cam enjoys spending time with his friends and watching sports.

Coordinator, Aquatics & Safety head shot

Spencer Tussing

Coordinator, Aquatics & Safety

Spencer started his career as a student athlete for the Varsity Swimming and Diving team at Cleveland State in 2020.  While studying at Cleveland State, he acted as an Aquatic Supervisor within University Recreation and Wellbeing Throughout the summer months, Spencer also worked in a facility and aquatics maintenance position at the Grove City YMCA.  After graduating with his bachelors in Psychology in 2023, he decided to stay in Cleveland to continue pursuing his passion for aquatics, soon taking the position as the Coordinator of Aquatics and Safety at Cleveland State.   Spencer also helps with coaching for the Cleveland State Swimming team and spends his free time with his cat.

Coordinator, Operations & Events head shot

Andrew Ross

Coordinator, Operations & Events

After graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, Andrew began working with Scott Pickens at Pickens Baseball Academy. Scott, a former bullpen catcher for the Detroit Tigers, enlisted Andrew’s help in coaching multiple teams and running his facility and organization. Subsequently, Andrew moved to Cleveland with his now-wife to pursue his Master’s degree at Cleveland State University, where he also served as a Graduate Supervisor of Facility Operations with Campus Recreation Services. Upon completing his degree, Andrew assumed the role of Regional Program Director at the Lake County YMCA, overseeing various youth sports programs and camps. Hearing of a new opportunity with University Recreation and Wellbeing, Andrew returned and now serves as the Coordinator of Operations and Events. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys spending time with friends, family, and his new puppy, Caesar. He also has a passion for playing or watching sports, and regularly vacations in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, a family tradition he upholds at least once a year.

Building Maintenance Assistant head shot

Paul Yurko

Building Maintenance Assistant

Paul Yurko has been with the Cleveland State University Recreation Center since 2016 and is currently a full-time Building Maintenance Attendant. He is responsible for the cleanliness and sanitation of the Recreation Center. He has his BFA in graphic design from North Coast college, which was formerly known as Virginia Marty College. He went back to college at the age of 45 to pursue his dream of becoming a graphic designer. He has experience in video production, Adobe creative suite, and photography. Paul’s favorite photo shoot was of Nick Chubb from the Browns. It was an experience he will never forget. He has been married to his wife Tracy for 10 years and has a great stepdaughter named Emma. He also has been a Star Wars fan since 1977, collecting merchandise from Star Wars and Marvel. He also enjoys all sports and spectating Cleveland sports team.

Graduate Supervisor, Competitive Sports & Camps head shot

Liv Doick

Graduate Supervisor, Competitive Sports & Camps

Liv has been at the Rec Center since starting as an Operations Assistant in January 2020 and has worked in several different departments over the years. After working as an office assistant for club sports and camps, she saw how much she enjoyed doing it and wanted to continue in the graduate supervisor position. Her passion for our club sports and youth camps come from being an athlete growing up and the interest to work in pediatrics when she gets into her career. While working in this role, Liv will be pursuing a doctorate in Physical Therapy after completing her bachelor’s in Health Science. In her free time, she likes to work out, spend quality time with friends, and find soccer games to watch.

Graduate Supervisor, Fitness & Wellness head shot

Liz Snow

Graduate Supervisor, Fitness & Wellness

After completing her bachelors in Exercise Science and a minor in Sports Management at Cleveland State, she decided she wasn’t done with Cleveland State (or the Rec) just yet and is currently studying for her masters in Exercise Science. Liz started as on Operations Assistant her Sophomore year of college and has worked for many of the different departments at the Rec. Her passion for fitness started by taking Zumba classes in high school which she quickly fell in love with. She now is teaching her own Zumba classes as well as F45 here at the Rec Center. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, finding the best local trails to hike, and spending time with friends, family, and her cat!   ​​​​​​

Graduate Supervisor, Marketing & Advertising head shot

Suman Kumar

Graduate Supervisor, Marketing & Advertising

Suman is currently working as a Graduate Supervisor of the Marketing Department at the recreation center. As part of his work, he utilizes his creative designing mindset, team management skills and solves real world problems with technologies. He is currently pursuing MS in Software Engineering at Cleveland State University. He is a former software engineer having 3.5 years of professional experience. As a part of his hobby, he does photography, plays guitar, and loves traveling.

Graduate Supervisor, Recreation Programming head shot

Laura Garvin

Graduate Supervisor, Recreation Programming

Laura has always had a passion for the others’ mental and physical wellbeing. She began her journey at CSU’s Recreation Center as an instructor for Pink Gloves Boxing, and quickly realized she enjoyed being involved at the rec. When she got into CSU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling  graduate program, she thought it was the perfect opportunity to work in her current position as Graduate Supervisor of Recreation Programming so she could continue pursuing her passions in fitness and wellness. This way, Laura could further her career in mental health, and simultaneously working with people on their physical health too.

Graduate Supervisor, Aquatics & Safety head shot

Miranda Yauger

Graduate Supervisor, Aquatics & Safety

After receiving her Bachelors of Science in Biology from PennWest California, Miranda began looking for opportunities to pursue her passion for Aquatics. As a former competitive swimmer, private swim lesson instructor, and assistant high school swim team coach, Miranda found the Graduate Supervisor position in Aquatics and Safety at the CSU Rec Center to be the perfect fit. She will be attending CSU as a graduate student studying Sport and Entertainment Management. In her free time Miranda enjoys working out and spending time with family and friends.

Graduate Supervisor, Facilities head shot

Vincent Monaco

Graduate Supervisor, Facilities

Vincent started working at the CSU Recreation Center as an intern and quickly began to enjoy working in the campus recreation field. He enjoyed it so much that he transitioned from operation assistant to supervisor and now graduate supervisor. Vincent always has a strong passion for learning and always wants to continue growing as an individual, and as a young professional worker. Vincent is continuing his education at Cleveland State University while he is working as graduate supervisor by obtaining a master’s degree in Sport and Entertainment Management. Vincent enjoys watching sports and playing baseball and basketball in his free time.

Graduate Supervisor, Competitive Sports & Camps head shot

Rishabh Choudhary

Graduate Supervisor, Competitive Sports & Camps

As a sports person, Rishabh always wanted to work in such an environment where sports is included. He used to box during his high school and undergrad years. Rishabh joined the CSU Rec Center in 2022 as an Intramural Official where he officiated different games like Flag Football, Volleyball, Basketball and Futsal. Apart from Intramurals, he also worked as an Operation Assistant and as a Summer Camp Counselor in the Summer Camps. Currently, Rishabh is working as a Graduate Supervisor of Competitive Sports and Camps at the Recreation Center.  In Academics, he is pursuing MS in Computer & Information Science from Cleveland State University, and he completed his undergrad from India having Computer Science as my major. Whenever he has free time in his schedule, he likes to explore new places and spend time with his friends and family.