Celebrating his 23rd year working in intercollegiate athletics, Farmingdale State College Director of Athletic Communications Tom Emberley has been selected as one of two deserving recipients for the 2024 Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award.
 

Presented annually at the discretion of EAST-COMM, the Irving T. Marsh Award is bestowed upon one or two exemplary individuals who have exhibited excellence in the field of athletic communications.
 

A couple of highly regarded professionals within EAST-COMM's membership, Emberley, also the acting treasurer of the organization, will stand side-by-side with EAST-COMM Past President Greg Royce of Goucher College as this year's Irving T. Marsh Award recipients, who are set to be honored at EAST-COMM's annual awards banquet on Thursday, June 27, at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Md.
 

Rising through the ranks as an athletic administrator for over two decades, Emberley's humble beginnings emanated from his hometown of Fitchburg, Mass.
 

The son of Tom, Jr., and Kathy, Emberley got his early sports fix in the form of playing both soccer and football at Fitchburg High School, the latter of which culminated in the Red Raiders winning the Central Massachusetts Division 1 Super Bowl in 1996. All the while, Tom was writing articles for his hometown newspaper, the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise, as well as the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
 

It was those experiences that led Tom to pursue a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Western New England University (then-Western New England College) in Springfield, Mass. And it was at WNEC, where he was a two-year member of the Golden Bears' football program, that Tom met the College's Director of Athletic Communications, Ken Cerino – whose own distinguished career earned him the Irving T. Marsh Award back in 1992.
 

A 1996 College Sports Communicators Hall of Fame inductee, Cerino retired in 2016 after a decorated 42-year career. "[Ken] very much knew the job inside and out. He relayed those thoughts to the student assistants and allowed us to learn the field in a hands-on manner," Emberley said of his mentor.
 

"Ken had a way where he would let you learn on the fly, and would interject where necessary to make good, great – or, to make great work, the greatest it could be."
 

It was a done deal from that point on. Tom's sights were set on a career in sports.
 

Upon graduating from WNEC in 2001, Emberley made stops and learned from some of the profession's finest at the United States Naval Academy, the College of the Holy Cross and La Salle University, before running his first shop as Director of Athletic Communications at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.
 

Emberley's expertise has since graced many of the athletic communities surrounding Long Island, with stints at Long Island University, Queens College, Yeshiva University, the City University of New York Athletic Conference, the East Coast Conference, and currently, Farmingdale State College.
 

The trajectory of his career has also landed the veteran in prominent roles in a conference office setting. Most notably, Emberley served nearly a seven-year term as Associate Commissioner of Division III's Skyline Conference prior to joining FSC. In addition to leading all publicity efforts for the 12-member conference, Tom oversaw all championship administration, managed finances and built out scheduling.
 

Those seven years put Emberley on a path towards sitting on regionally- and nationally-recognized NCAA committees – his present appointment is with the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Committee – and representing the national office as a site representative at one of its 39 championships at the Division III level. He had previously served on the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse (chaired in 2019-20) and Division III Men's Volleyball national committees.
 

Today, Tom now gives back in molding future generations of athletic administrators as an adjunct Sport Management professor at FSC – a role he has held since 2016.
 

"I've been very fortunate with my experiences at a conference office, in an on-campus environment at all three divisions, and especially the good fortune of serving on some great NCAA committees with some great people. These experiences are now things that I relay in class and with our student-athletes; some of the best things you learn are outside the classroom, and that's a big part of what makes athletics so great."
 

"Being in and around sports, if you're going to work for the next 40-plus years of your life after you graduate from school, you might as well do something that you enjoy and love. I've been very fortunate for two-plus decades to have that feeling," Emberley reflected.
 

What Others Have to Say About Tom:
Bobby Ciafardini, Skyline Conference, Associate Commissioner: "Congratulations goes out to Tom for his outstanding work in the sports communication field that resulted in this national recognition. Leading a sports information department is a complex endeavor, and Tom manages it with intelligence, enthusiasm and compassion, all of which have led him to great success in all his roles through the years. This is a well-earned achievement for Tom at Farmingdale State and great news for him, FSC and our conference." 
 
Bill Gorman, Wentworth, 2014 Irving T. Marsh Award Recipient, 2008-09 EAST-COMM President & Current Ex-Officio: "Tom has a passion for the field of athletic communications and it has shown at each of his stops throughout his career. Whether it has been at an institution or at a conference, Tom's dedication to promoting student-athletes and enhances their total experience is second to none. He has also shown this at the national level with his service on both the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse and Women's Basketball Committees."
 
"Throughout his illustrious career, he has shown to be someone to step up when needed, and that includes serving our organization as treasurer during a challenging time for the organization. He puts as much passion into this position as he does in his day-to-day duties. He is one of the best and is beyond deserving of the Marsh Award."
 
Doug Monson, Stonehill, Assistant Director for Athletics, Communications: "Tom has been a valued and respected member of the athletic communications profession for many years, serving at the institutional and conference levels. His dedication to the student-athletes and institutions he has served is second to none. Tom's addition to the EAST-COMM Executive Board came at a vital time of transition, providing stability in a key area. Beyond that, Tom is a tremendous advocate for our profession and continues to be a mentor and friend to colleagues at all levels and a most worthy recipient of the Marsh Award."
 
Jim Seavey, 2013 Irving T. Marsh Award Recipient & 2004-05 EAST-COMM President (ret.): "If you were to look up the definition of someone who has exhibited excellence in the field of athletic communications, Tom Emberley's picture would immediately appear. He is the consummate professional who has dedicated his career to service, and the impact he has made on countless student-athletes by sharing their successes in competition, in the classroom and in the community is immeasurable. But as great as Tom is at his craft, he's a better person. He is a dedicated husband and father to Jen and Tyler, and I'm extremely proud to be able to call him not just a colleague, but also a friend and mentor."