Ring Leaders

Dana Jozefczyk ’06

Associate general counsel for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Dana handles intellectual property rights, copyrights, and trademarks for the world’s biggest games.

Can I put the Olympic rings on this post? The short answer is no. The USOPC is a nonprofit and we rely on sponsors to provide resources to send Team USA to the Games. BC isn’t an official sponsor or licensee, so we ask that you not use the rings and other marks.

Summer or Winter Olympics? I really love them all! My senior year, I remember sitting on the Mods couches for hours with my friends, watching every single televised snowboarding event during the 2006 winter games in Turin, Italy.

Favorite Boston College Athletics tradition? During my junior year, 6-7 of us rented an RV and drove to a campground outside South Bend, Ind., for the BC-ND game. We drove out there in one day. I remember playing a lot of cards on that little RV table.

Has your job taken you to any interesting places? I’ve toured the training center at Lake Placid. My dad played hockey growing up and we are all hockey fans, so it was a big deal to see where the Miracle on Ice took place.

Fun fact about you? I’m famous among my friends and colleagues for mixing up idiomatic expressions. I say things like “horse and pony show” and “the egg doesn’t fall far from the tree .”

What’s a typical day at the office?
With the Games coming up, we’re getting a lot of reports of people infringing intellectual property. We know how excited people are about the Olympic Games. I do a lot of education on how to switch up their designs and usage.

So, can I put the Olympic rings on this post?
Sorry, the answer is still a hard (but nice) no! However, since BC is a participant in our Olympians Made Here (OMH) campaign, you’re free to use OMH assets to cheer on all the collegiate athletes competing in Tokyo!

Eddie Scannell ’99

Vice president, licensing and business development at United States Olympic & Paralympic Properties, Eddie helps lead the team that outfits Team USA athletes and fans.

What kinds of products do you license? It’s fun—we get to work with small independent suppliers and large corporations such as Nike and Ralph Lauren. We’re talking things like t-shirts, video games, baseball hats, and other products.

Do you prefer Summer or Winter Games? I have to say Winter. I love watching skiing and I love the snow. Being based in LA, I don’t see as much snow today as I did growing up in Connecticut where I also was a ski racer as a kid. But I also enjoy watching the 800m race in track and field during the Summer Games. Again, there’s a personal connection: I was on the JV track team in high school.

Favorite BC Athletics memory? It was in 1997 when I saw my friend, Brooke Heald ’99, making the interception in the fourth quarter in what was considered the most important play of the game against Miami. The play allowed BC to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Has your job taken you to any interesting places? I am heading to Tokyo for the Paralympic Games. We need to make sure the team is outfitted for the parade and opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the medal stand and Athletes’ Village.

Fun fact about you? After I graduated from BC in 1999, I took a year to backpack through Asia with no real plan, exploring countries like China, Nepal, India, and Russia. More recently, I was invited to the UCLA gymnasium to play wheelchair basketball with Paralympic athletes. I learned how difficult it is to play in a wheelchair. It’s hard work, shooting, maneuvering, and getting momentum! The next day, my neck muscles were really tired. It was eye-opening for me to learn firsthand about a Paralympic sport.

Do you get to wear any of the stuff you help license? Yes! I’m always happy to wear and represent Team USA.

Dave Mingey ’92

Senior vice president, partnership management & activation, United States Olympic & Paralympic Properties, Dave stewards partnerships between major corporations and Team USA.

Were you an athlete growing up? I played a lot of sports growing up but focused on rowing for nine years, getting my start on my high school rowing team where we won two national championships. At Boston College, I was co-captain of the men’s rowing team, and then I rowed competitively for one year after graduation. My wife, Darby ’98, was on the track team at BC and was a talented runner.

Do you prefer Summer or Winter Games? Summer. With more than 200 nations and territories in attendance there is a more global feel with the Summer Games. Winter Games are about one-third the total scale of the Summer Games. 

Favorite BC athletics tradition or memory? Definitely Marathon Monday. I mean, how many campuses have one of the world’s biggest sporting events running through it? But in terms of a specific memory, I will never forget storming the field after David Gordon’s kick in 1993 that gave the Eagles a 41-39 win over Notre Dame in South Bend.

How would you explain what you do with USOPC to elementary school students on Career Day? Unlike almost all other National Olympic Committees, Team USA doesn’t receive any federal funding. Our athletes greatly depend on our two biggest sources of revenue: donations and corporate support. I oversee the team responsible for our key sponsorships and the marketing campaigns of numerous global and national brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Airbnb.

Has your job taken you to any interesting places? I’ve worked on 14 Olympic Games and have attended 10. My first was Lillehammer in 1994.

Fun fact about you? In 2002, I had the opportunity to run as a Torchbearer for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. I ran my leg of the route in Brooklyn, N.Y. I remember standing in my assigned spot, waiting for the torch to arrive when an Olympic official on a motorcycle rushed over to me to yell above the noise of the helicopters overhead, “Remember, once you begin running, you will be the only person in the world responsible for getting this thing to the Opening Ceremony.” It was surreal.