PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Little East Conference (LEC) has announced the hiring of Eleanor Folsom as its Communications and Conference Membership Services Assistant, a newly created position funded in part through the NCAA Division III Pathway to Excellence Grant program. She will begin her two-year appointment in August and report directly to Associate Commissioner Darryl Konicki, with additional oversight from Commissioner Al Bean.

“I am thrilled to have been selected as the Little East Conference Communications and Conference Membership Services Assistant,” said Folsom. “As a four-year LEC student-athlete, the conference holds a special place in my heart and played a significant role in shaping my college experience. I am excited for the opportunity to give back to the conference, its member institutions, and its student-athletes by helping tell their stories and supporting the continued growth of Division III athletics.”

As the LEC Communications and Conference Membership Services Assistant, Folsom will be actively involved in many aspects of conference operations, including communications and content creation, championship administration, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) initiatives, compliance, administrative and sport governance, record book maintenance, and other conference projects. She will also assist with the planning and execution of LEC championships, conference meetings, and the annual LEC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

Konicki said, "This is an exciting moment for the Little East Conference. We are very fortunate to have received the NCAA Division III Pathway to Excellence Grant, and had a very deep applicant pool to fill this new position. Eleanor’s impressive experience at Southern Maine immediately won over the search committee during the initial screening and interview process, and we look forward to her beginning her professional career with the LEC.” 

A four-year student-athlete at the University of Southern Maine, Folsom recently graduated with dual bachelor's degrees in Sport Management and Marketing. During her collegiate career, she competed as a goalkeeper for the Huskies field hockey program while also building extensive experience in athletic communications.

Folsom served as an Athletic Communications Assistant while at Southern Maine, where she assisted with game operations, social media management, content creation, photography, videography, media relations, and championship coverage. Her work supported a wide variety of varsity sports and focused on promoting student-athletes while enhancing the visibility of USM Athletics.

As a former Little East Conference student-athlete, Folsom brings a firsthand understanding of the Division III experience and the role the conference plays in supporting student-athlete success. Her background in athletic communications, combined with her experience as an LEC student-athlete, will provide valuable perspective in promoting the conference and serving its member institutions.

About the Little East Conference
The LEC was formed in 1986 when six public institutions gathered to create a single sport athletic conference and has expanded into what is now New England's premier athletic conference for public institutions in NCAA Division III. The LEC sponsors 24 championship sports, providing quality competition in every season for our student-athletes while following the Division III mission of passion, responsibility, sportsmanship and citizenship. The Little East consists of nine primary institutions that encompass all six New England states –Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College (N.H.), UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Plymouth State University (N.H.), Rhode Island College, University of Southern Maine, Vermont State University Castleton and Western Connecticut State University.