THE FLATS – Georgia Tech athletics senior staff members Leah Thomas and Mike Flynn have both been promoted to associate athletics directors, director of athletics Todd Stansbury announced Friday. Thomas will serve as associate A.D./performance nutrition and Flynn as associate A.D./media relations.
“Communications and nutrition are two pillars that are paramount to the overall development of our student-athletes, and Mike and Leah have been instrumental in helping us excel in those areas,” said Stansbury. “They have served as mentors to our student-athletes and have been great representatives of our mission to build Everyday Champions. We are committed to expanding our student-athlete development programming and these well-deserved promotions are an indication of that. I look forward to Mike and Leah helping our student-athletes succeed for years to come.”
Thomas has been a member of Georgia Tech athletics’ staff for 19 years. She began as director of nutrition in 2003 before transitioning to the director of total person support services and sports dietitian in 2008. Thomas was promoted to assistant A.D. for student-athlete development in 2018.
In her elevated role, Thomas will continue to oversee the everyday operations of student-athletes’ nutritional development for optimal performance through nutrition counseling and meal plan personalization. A recognized leader in the field of sports nutrition, Thomas is featured in the College Football Hall of Fame nutrition display.
The Oak Ridge, Tenn., native was a top cross country and track performer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition in 1999. Thomas moved to Atlanta to attend graduate school at Georgia State, earning a master’s degree in exercise science in 2003. Thomas is a registered and licensed dietitian, member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics and a founding member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
Flynn joined the Georgia Tech Athletic Association staff as assistant A.D. for communications and public relations in June 2016. In his role, he serves as the primary communications contact for Georgia Tech football and is the athletics department’s chief spokesperson. He also oversees the day-to-day operations of Georgia Tech athletics’ communications and public relations office.
Prior to his arrival at Georgia Tech, Flynn spent 13 years at Appalachian State where he served the last 10 years as assistant athletics director/sports information. He arrived in Boone, N.C. as an assistant sports information director in 2003 before being promoted to director in 2004. A member of Appalachian State athletics’ senior management team, Flynn managed all communications and publicity for the Mountaineers’ football and baseball programs.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Flynn was also a member of the sports information staffs at TCU (2001-03) and Miami (Ohio) University (1999-2001). He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Miami (2001) and a master’s in advertising/public relations from TCU (2003).
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
