The main requirement of ND Champions Club staff members is to love UND Athletics. We work hard for our members and, most importantly, for UND’s student-athletes.
Val Sussex, '08, '11
Director, North Dakota Champions Club
701-777-4078
vals@undfoundation.org
WHY I WEAR GREEN
UND means the world to me. I was fortunate to get a great degree at UND while playing the sport that I loved. I want to do everything I can to make sure student-athletes today have the same amazing experience I had and leave UND with the same love for their University that I feel today.
OVERVIEW
No matter the UND sporting event, chances are Val will be there. While running the day-to-day operations of the North Dakota Champions Club, Val does her best to promote the accomplishments of UND Athletics. Whether organizing the bi-annual Champions Ball or manning the Champions Club tent during tailgating, she is helping UND alumni and friends support our talented student-athletes as they fulfill their mission of being champions in the classroom, community, and competition.
A former UND women’s basketball player and coach, Val’s love of UND Athletics is shared with her family – her children, Baker and Lauren, look up to UND student-athletes as role models. When it’s not game day, she and her husband Jackson enjoy being outside with the kids, riding bike and heading to the lake in the summer. They’re season pass holders at Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton, N.D., and visit the animals every chance they get.
QUALIFICATIONS
• BS, Elementary Education with a minor in coaching, University of North Dakota
• MS, Educational Leadership with an emphasis in higher education, University of North Dakota
KNOWLEDGE
Val lives and breathes UND Athletics, and for her, there is no off-season. Every summer, she travels around North Dakota and Minnesota leading the Champions Golf Tour. In the fall, the UND Hall of Fame banquet lets her connect with former student-athletes who laid the foundation for success at UND. During the winter months (aka basketball season), she provides color commentary during men’s and women’s basketball games for MidCo Sports. And when springtime hits, she looks forward to March Madness for all sports and the playoff runs of our student-athletes.
WHY I WEAR GREEN
I love being a part of the team behind the team! The student-athletes are so committed, I get the opportunity to meet some of their parents, there is a lot that goes into the success of our teams, and I feel very blessed to be able to be a small part of that!
OVERVIEW
Got your tickets? Even though the Ralph Engelstad Arena is known for hockey, its ticket office serves all of UND Athletics, as well as special events at the Ralph or Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Heather processes season and single-game tickets for both the public and students, and makes sure the ticket offices at the Ralph, Betty, and the Alerus Center are manned on game days. Her office is truly a one-stop shop, as she also works closely with North Dakota Champions Club members to make sure they receive the best customer service.
Her time away from UND sports is best spent with her husband, Chad, watching one of their girls – Lauren, Jacie, or Hattie – play basketball, soccer, volleyball, or dance. On her rare moments to herself, not much beats a good book!
QUALIFICATIONS
• BBA, Elementary Education Business Administration, Business and Computer Technology Secondary Education, Mayville (N.D.) State University
• Member, National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales and Operations
KNOWLEDGE
Heather is a master of keeping up with the ever-changing ticketing industry, and led the initiative to move UND student tickets from paper to electronic using their student IDs to the mobile format that is currently in place. She looks forward to continuing to keep UND up with industry standards and practices.
COMMUNITY
• Active in her daughters’ school PTO