NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Allie Ware has joined the Yale Athletics family as an Assistant Athletic Director for Development. The announcement was made by Victoria M. "Vicky" Chun, Yale's Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics.
 
Ware comes to New Haven from the University of Richmond where she worked in Parent and Major Giving for the Spider Athletic Fund, first as Associate Director before being promoted to Director
 
"Scott Lukas and I are thrilled to welcome Allie and have her be an integral part of our development office and our athletic department," Chun said. "She brings with her a wealth of experience, success and energy that we know will be embraced by all. Her skill set will help us accomplish our ambitious future goals."
 
At Richmond, Ware helped oversee the Spider Athletic Fund which raised more than $5.2 million last year, a six percent increase from the previous year. In addition, the number of donors increased by 36 percent. The Spider Athletic Fund also contributed to over one third of funds raised in the second annual giving day, tallying nearly five times as much as the previous year's total. The Athletics Department total helped the University of Richmond as a whole raise $1.55 million dollars in the #URHere Giving Day event.
 
"I want to thank Vicky, [Deputy Director of Athletics] Ann-Marie [Guglieri], and [Associate Athletic Director, Advancement & External Partnerships] Scott [Lukas] for this incredible opportunity," Ware said. "Yale is the pinnacle of college athletics and the experience it offers its student-athletes is second to none. I'm looking forward to getting to New Haven and working to further enhance the unparalleled experience Yale offers."

Prior to Richmond, Ware spent four years at Mercer University where she served as the Assistant Director of the Mercer Athletic Foundation and assisted in overseeing football game day operations, including parking, special events, and fan engagement. Additionally, Ware was the direct contact between student-athletes and 400 Fund donors.

In October of 2018, in conjunction with the Mercer Athletic Department, Ware announced the creation of the "Mercer Women's Athletic Endowment: Enhancing Opportunities and Impacting Leaders" to support the school's 10 women's varsity. The endowment was the first in the Southern Conference and one of the first of its kind in college athletics.

Prior to being promoted as the Assistant Director of the Mercer Athletic Foundation, Ware served as the Development Assistant as well as the Director of Operations for the Mercer women's lacrosse team. She was responsible for all annual renewal mailings for Bear Plus members while also creating the Lettermen's Club, a giving society for former student-athletes. 

An ardent supporter of Mercer's student-athletes, Ware was selected by the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as Mercer's staff representative on the All-SoCon Faculty and Staff Team in 2017.

Prior to arriving at Mercer, Ware served as a sales consultant before being promoted to a senior sales consultant for the Aspire Group, a global sports and entertainment marketing firm that specializes in enhancing all revenue. She was responsible for overseeing ticket sales for NCAA Championships and the US Open. She also instituted Fan Experience Packages for the 2016 NFL Pro Bowl and was recognized twice as the top sales consultant within the company.  

Ware was selected to serve on the Foundation Fund Committee for Women Leaders in College Athletics in April 2020. She will assist in the development and planning of fundraising events, initiatives, and planned-giving programs to ensure the continuation of the Women Leaders scholarship program via the Foundation Fund and the continuation of the Women Leaders Opportunity Fund. 

A native of Alpharetta, Georgia, Ware graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Richmond in 2014. She earned her master's degree in Higher Educational Leadership from Mercer University in 2016 and received a Sports Industry Essentials Certificate from Columbia University in 2018.
 
At Richmond, Ware was a four-year member of the Spider women's lacrosse team and served as a captain her senior year. In 2017, she was the first female from her high school (Milton, GA) to be inducted into its Hall of Fame.