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Ross Bjork is completing his second year as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at UCLA. Bjork directs Capital fund-raising, The Wooden Athletic Fund, Marketing, Community Relations, Licensing, Multi-Media, Ticket Sales, and ISP Sports for Bruin Athletics. Since coming on board at UCLA, Bjork has overseen a quick turnaround of the External units. Total giving to Athletics has doubled in one year and season tickets sales for football and men's basketball increased to record totals for 2006-07. He has also launched the Wooden Athletic Fund, added five new staff members in Development, and established the Building on Tradition Capital Campaign to raise the funds to renovate legendary Pauley Pavilion. Bjork serves as the day to day liaison to University Development, the Alumni Association, and other External units on the UCLA campus. He has also assisted ISP in their transition into the Los Angeles market where they have doubled sponsorship sales in one year.
Bjork came to UCLA on September 1, 2005, from the University of Miami where he spent two years on the executive staff and oversaw all revenue production for the Hurricanes. In his short tenure at Miami he directed the search process for hiring Frank Haith as the men's basketball coach, was the liaison with the University President's office, secured the naming rights for the $52 million on-campus arena, re-negotiated Miami's Nike and Gatorade contracts, and increase total giving to Miami Athletics.
Prior to his tenure at Miami, Bjork spent 6 ½ years at the University of Missouri where he oversaw all development operations that raised record funds each year. Total annual giving increased from $2.1 million in 1996, to $14.6 million in 2003. Bjork also directed the sales campaign of the football suites' project, and implemented the seating program for Missouri's new basketball arena. He oversaw the generation of $87.5 million in donations for the Champions for Life Capital Campaign. Bjork was an Athletic Development Officer in 1997 and promoted to Assistant Athletic Director in 2001.
Prior to joining the Missouri athletic staff, Bjork served as Assistant Development Coordinator at Western Kentucky University, Campus Recreation Graduate Assistant at Western Illinois University, Marketing Intern for the University of Tulsa, Front Office Intern for the Albuquerque Dukes, and Student Volunteer for Athletics at Emporia State University.
Bjork, 34, is a native of Dodge City, KS, and received his bachelor's degree in recreation administration from Emporia State University in 1995 and was a two-year starter at fullback. He earned a master's degree in athletic administration from Western Illinois University in December 1996. Bjork is currently the President of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). His wife Sonya is the Director of Donor Relations for the UCLA Foundation. Ross and Sonya, have a son, Payton, born April 14, 2006, and reside in West Los Angeles.
