Katie Rose Thornton joined the BLOCS team as Director of Marketing & Communications in January 2020. In her role, Thornton will develop a mission-based comprehensive Marketing and Communications Plan, inclusive of all social/digital and public/community relations strategies and tactics. Thornton will also spearhead all the planning and execution of special events, namely the Annual Gala.

Katie Rose brings extensive experience in strategic marketing communications, development and fundraising in higher education, professional sports and collegiate athletics. Her expertise lies in working collaboratively across channels, at all levels within an organization, both internally and externally. She has demonstrated success in every facet of external operations, namely revenue generation. As a former athlete, her competitive mindset fuels her desire to set, communicate and achieve buy-in around strategic goals.

From 2017-2019, Thornton served as the Vice President, Strategy & Account Management for POV Sports Marketing where her team developed sports sponsorship strategy for: Stroehmann, Firstrust Bank and Wawa. Thornton held marketing and development positions with Villanova University and Miami University (OH); as well as account management roles with Cramer-Krasselt, LevLane Advertising and J. Walter Thompson, helping to manage the regional advertising plans for brands including Porsche, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, KFC & Taco Bell. Thornton began her career as a member of the corporate service and sales team with the Philadelphia Eagles, after which she was Executive Assistant for former Eagle Wide Receiver Terrell Owens.

In the spring of 2019, Thornton was named the first female President of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Delaware County Chapter as well as Executive Vice President overseeing the Eastern PA Region Chapters. In her role as President, she manages all fundraising, marketing and special events for the chapter, leading a board of twenty-two directors.

Thornton is a 2003 graduate and former Division I field hockey player at Columbia University in New York and resides in Newtown Square, PA.