Evan O'Kelly begins his third year directing media relations and communications with the conference office in 2025-26.
He was hired as assistant commissioner for communications in July, 2023 and was promoted to associate commissioner for communications in June, 2024. Read More: O'Kelly Returns To GNAC As Assistant Commissioner
O'Kelly led the conference's rebrand efforts during the 2024-25 academic year, resulting in the launch of the GNAC's new logo and branding guide on June 2, 2025. It was the first time since the conference was founded in 2001 that the logo was redesigned.
In O'Kelly's first year with the conference office, he spearheaded a full website redesign and fostered the conference's partnership with Sidearm Sports beginning in July, 2024.
O'Kelly was assistant director of communications at the University of New Mexico in 2022-23, where he coverd the Lobos' women's soccer, track and field and baseball programs. O’Kelly served as the associate athletic director for communications at GNAC member Montana State Billings from 2014-19 and 2020-22, with a brief stop at Concordia University in Portland in between. In 2018, he was honored by CSC (formerly CoSIDA) with the organization’s College Division Rising Star Award as the top young professional (10 years of experience or less) in the Division II, III, JUCO or NAIA ranks.
O’Kelly served in several leadership roles at Montana State Billings including an MSUB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee adviser, coordinator of the D2CCA Men’s Basketball All-Region voting, and as a member of the NCAA DII Baseball West Regional Advisory Committee which selects the official playoff baseball teams annually. He also served as a broadcaster for several MSU Billings sports and he served as the official scorer for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League, formerly the short season Class-A Cincinnati Reds affiliate.
His one year at Concordia saw him serve as associate A.D. for communications where he handled digital and print media for the school’s athletic department, including handling all facets of the school’s live streams. The university cut its athletic department in 2020, precipitating his return to Billings.
O'Kelly first served the GNAC during the 2013-14 academic year, as the GNAC media relations intern. He was responsible for individual sport coverage as well as championship management during his first stint at the conference office, and began the conference's podcast GNAC Insider.
A native of Northeast Portland, O'Kelly is a 2013 graduate of Linfield University where he completed a bachelor's degree in finance.