The 2016 recipient of the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achievement Award is Eric SanInocencio, digital media director of the Houston Texans. SanInocencio graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from UM in 2003 and was a four-year letter winner on the UM baseball team.
Prior to joining the NFL’s Houston Texans communications department in 2013, SanInocencio worked as the digital media director for almost 4 years, creating and overseeing the Southeastern Conference’s social media presence. SanInocencio also served as sports information director of the Gulf South Conference and associate media relations director with UAB Athletics.
Upon taking over the Texans’ media channels, the website has vaulted from the bottom third of the NFL in major metric categories to the top twenty-five percent. SanInocencio has implemented strategies that increased consumption of articles and videos while helping to double advertising revenue.
“Eric does a marvelous job as a leader and communicator to make sure all departments from ticketing to football operations to community relations can capitalize on the evolving technology of digital media,” a colleague stated in a letter of support.
In addition to receiving the Rookie Award and IMPACT Award for his superior performance as an employee of the Texans, SanInocencio was recognized as Best Minority in Business by Birmingham Magazine in 2013, and has participated in the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association and the National Minority Journalism Workshop.
San Inocencio has taken a line from the Texans’ mission statement, “…do great things for Houston” to heart. In addition to his role with the Texans he launched digital initiatives that have impacted funding and volunteer support for the Houston Foodbank, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Houston and the Houston Texans YMCA.
SanInocencio’s colleague states that he takes pride in his time at the University and credits much of his professional success to the foundation built during his time at Montevallo, a quality that makes him more than deserving of the Young Alumni Achievement Award.