School of Communication alumnus Mark E. Neifeld is the senior event coordinator of The Georgia Dome, home stadium of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the Georgia State Panthers. The venue hosts annual events like the Southeastern Conference Football Championship, Chick-fil-A Bowl and Monster Energy Supercross.

Neifeld is serving as event manager for the 2013 75th Anniversary of the NCAA Final Four, a top U.S. sporting event to determine the winner of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship, known informally as March Madness. He is also serving as chair of operations for the Atlanta local organizing committee. Previously, he served on the facility coordination committee for the 2012 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans and will continue on the committee at the 2014 Final Four in North Texas.

In 2011, while serving on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s Technology Committee, Neifeld created and launched the Georgia Dome’s “Mobile Concierge,” the industry’s first stadium-based smartphone web application designed for event attendees. The application was featured in numerous publications and Neifeld earned the authority’s “Bright Idea of The Year” award.

Neifeld was previously the event operations coordinator for the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Times Forum (“Top Ten Venue in the United States,” Pollstar and Billboard Magazine). While working for the Lightning, he was credited with launching industry-recognized new media campaigns. The team received publicity for the first trade in professional sports announced via Twitter and, through his creative leadership, their campaigns were featured in countless media outlets.

Neifeld earned a dual bachelor’s degree from Florida State University with majors in public relations and sociology. He resides in Atlanta with his wife, and fellow Seminole, Danielle.