Tennis commentator Patrick McEnroe, best-selling author Nicholas Sparks among sports, media stars to celebrate Storm at April 20 event in New York

The Marist College Center for Sports Communication will present the second Lifetime Excellence in Sports Communication Award to to highly respected journalist, producer, and director Hannah Storm at an April 20 dinner and ceremony at New York City’s Edison Ballroom. The award is given to individuals who have exemplified excellence over time in the broadly defined field of sports communication, recognizing the social value and importance of sport and those that cover, analyze, narrate, and otherwise bring us our national pastimes. The inaugural award was presented in 2015 to Bryant Gumbel.Hannah Storm

Storm has long been recognized for the quality and range of her work, including coverage of legendary sports figures – LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Roger Goodell, and many others – and events, like the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, and the NBA Playoffs. She has spent the past decade at ESPN, where she hosts SportsCenter’s Face to Face with Hannah Storm, a newsmaker interview-driven show, weekdays at 10 a.m., and SportsCenter Sunday Morning during the NFL season. She also hosts Face to Face interview specials, which have aired on ESPN and ABC since 2012. In addition to SportsCenter, she covers major news events for ESPN such as Major League Baseball’s visit to Cuba, the funeral of Muhammad Ali, and the 2016 Olympics.

Several luminaries from the sports and media worlds will offer thoughts and stories throughout the evening, which will include video tributes covering some of Storm’s defining television moments. Among those scheduled to participate in the evening’s programs are tennis commentator and former U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe; author, screenwriter, and producer Nicholas Sparks; former NBA Commissioner David Stern; NBC Sports broadcaster and Storm’s husband Dan Hicks; ESPN’s longest-serving commentator, Bob Ley; ESPN host and reporter Wendi Nix; and former ABA Commissioner and Hannah’s father, Mike Storen. ESPN SportsCenter host Lisa Kerney will serve as emcee for the evening, which will also feature special video tributes from legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas and ESPN’s Jemele Hill and Michael Smith.

According to Marist College Center for Sports Communication director Keith Strudler, Storm was an obvious choice for the award.

“The breadth and deep impact of Hannah’s accomplishments as a broadcast journalist, author, producer, director, and philanthropist are extraordinary.” Strudler said. “It’s even more remarkable considering that for much of her career, Hannah was one of the only women on the sidelines and in the locker rooms, work that blazed the trail for generations of aspiring female sports broadcasters.

“In addition to her professional accomplishments, Hannah improves the lives of young people across the globe through her foundation, making her an inspiration for the next generation of professionals in and outside the field of sports communication. Hannah Storm truly embodies the spirit of this award.”

Storm previously covered sports for CNN and NBC Sports and served as a host of CBS’s The Early Show. She also founded Brainstormin’ Productions, through which she has produced, executive produced, and directed several award-winning documentary films.

She has received numerous awards for her work in media and other pursuits. She was recently named one of AdWeek’s “30 Most Powerful Women in Sports” and is part of the Paley Center for Media’s prestigious “She Made It: Women Creating Television and Radio” Hall of Fame.

In 2008, Storm founded the Hannah Storm Foundation, which advocates for children and parents of children suffering from debilitating vascular birthmarks. Storm’s passion for this cause stems from personal experience: she was born with a port wine stain underneath her left eye. The foundation has provided funding for critical surgeries for children from the United States, China, the Republic of Georgia, and Slovenia. The foundation also funds the Hannah Storm Journalism Internship at Notre Dame, Storm’s alma mater, empowering the next generation to pursue their dreams in journalism and broadcasting.

Storm is also the award-winning author of two books: Notre Dame Inspirations (Doubleday, 2006), and Go Girl!: Raising Healthy, Confident and Successful Daughters through Sports (Sourcebooks, 2002; 2011 re-release). Other honors include the 2000 Gracie Award® for pioneering work as a female in the world of sports broadcasting; the 2005 Gracie Award® for Outstanding Anchor, News; the University of Notre Dame’s Distinguished Alumni Award; the March of Dimes Sports Legend Award; the YWCA Brava Award; and the Traditional Home Classic Woman Award.

Storm graduated from Notre Dame in 1983 with degrees in communications and political science. She lives in Connecticut with Hicks and their three daughters.

The Lifetime Excellence in Sports Communication Award will honor Storm while also raising endowment funds to support the Center’s endowment, which provides much-needed scholarships, cutting-edge research, and student programming throughout the year. A limited number of tickets for the event remain available.

The Marist College Center for Sports Communication

Founded in 2011, the Marist College Center for Sports Communication is a global leader in the study of and practice in sports communication, helping to prepare an enlightened and engaged group of future leaders in one of society’s most far-reaching disciplines. The center serves a vari­ety of publics through the creation of important external partnerships, research and creative activity, production of professional sports media, presentations by leaders in the field, instruction and curricular development, and community service.

Since its inception, the Center for Sports Communication has achieved national and international recognition of its activities, helping to extend the reputation of the College and providing unique educational experiences for Marist students. Marist student interns provide industry-standard support for the Center’s work under the guidance of dedicated faculty, allowing students unparalleled opportunities and access. Some Center successes include creating and hosting a weekly sports show called "The Classroom" on a commercial radio network, partnering with both the Marist Poll and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on sports-related survey research, building a unique Speaker Series that brings top leaders in the field to campus, earning the distinction of academic partner to the industry-leading Sports PR Summit, and supporting the launch of a certificate in global sports communication at Marist’s campus in Florence, Italy.