Last month, we lost Sue Petersen Lubow at the young age of 61.

Sue was the first woman head coach and the first woman athletic director at a United States military service academy. When she joined the Merchant Marine Academy right here on Long Island, she was appointed the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. Her teams produced two NCAA Division III national championships.

As athletic director for 25 years, Sue expanded the number of competitive sports at the academy. During 2014, when she was inducted into the academy’s athletic hall of fame, Sue said that she had not become an athletic director to break barriers.

“I chose my profession because I wanted to make a difference,” she stated that day, “not because I wanted to be a trailblazer, but in reflection—whether I like it or not—I guess I was.”

Sue grew up on Long Island. She was an All-American and swim team captain at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She earned her master’s degree in health education at Hofstra University.

Sue was a difference maker. She also was a trailblazer. Her successor as the academy’s athletic director is the only woman currently in that position at a service academy.

In paying tribute to Sue, each of us must continue to strive to make a difference in our work, in our communities and with our families. Each of us possesses that opportunity to blaze a unique trail.

Jim

Few boys who dream of playing professional baseball actually end up competing in the country’s big ball yards. Millions of other boys must follow another path so they can touch all the bases.

Tim Mead’s passion for baseball landed him an internship more than 30 years ago with the Los Angeles Angels. Today, he is the team’s vice president of communications. He is the team’s spokesman and he oversees media relations, publicity and broadcast operations. Mead and his staff also provide beat writers and media with game notes and media guides, handle media requests and arrange interviews with players and team executives.

Mead realized early on that he did not have the talent to make a living at hitting a ball with a bat. So, during college, he looked for other opportunities to stay in the game that he loved. He focused on sports writing. He soon realized, though, that he could not write about failings and shortcomings of people who worked hard in an area where he did not achieve success. So, Mead slid into public relations.

The job is all about promoting and protecting the Angels brand. While some tasks are easy for Mead, he faces many challenges similar to a hitter figuring the best way to hit a knuckleball.

One example has involved social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This medium does not allow PR people to control the flow of information. With the growth of instantaneous postings, the Angels communications team decided to employ a defensive shift. It increased online monitoring. The strategy has allowed the staff to respond quickly to address fan issues while it continues to proactively promote, publicize and reach out to media and fans with the many positive stories that occur within the organization.

As for advice about achieving success in sports communications or any business profession, Mead provided the following guidelines: prove yourself every day, be true to your personal brand, stay away from discussing politics, work hard and be ready for the ball to be hit to you when you least expect it.

- Jim