I suppose you could say I was born to tell stories.

When my great-grandfather and his brother immigrated from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s in pursuit of the American dream, they arrived at Ellis Island, where an official asked their names. My great-grandfather turned to his brother and said, “zag im” — Yiddish for “you tell him.” The official wrote down “Sugam.”

That moment became a family legend, but it also shaped my life’s work: listening closely, translating lived experience into meaning, and ensuring stories are told clearly, accurately, and with integrity while operating calmly on deadline. That sensibility has guided my career at the intersection of journalism, education, strategic communications, and marketing.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I attended Rutgers University to study Journalism & Media Studies and Sociology. With a love of storytelling and sports, I began my pursuit of becoming a sportswriter. I covered sports in the New York City metropolitan area for more than a decade, nine of those years as a stringer with The Associated Press. During that time, I covered college football and basketball, Big East Tournaments, March Madness, NCAA National Championships, the NHL, and the NFL. Along the way, I also completed a post-baccalaureate teaching certificate at Kean University.

After several years in the classroom, I transitioned into communications and marketing at Newark Academy, one of the country’s oldest independent schools. There, I translated my journalism skills into strategic communications work through planning, writing, and producing alumni magazines, managing social media campaigns, and directing admissions and fundraising videos.

While advancing from Communications Associate to Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, I pursued a Master of Science in Strategic Communication at Columbia University. I left Newark Academy to fully immerse myself in graduate study, working with Columbia Athletics to produce digital content while continuing to freelance for the Associated Press. During that period, I also served as Interim Director of Communications for NY/NJ Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Following graduate school, I continued building my career in independent school communications at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School before becoming Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing at The Academy of the Holy Cross, where I reported directly to the President as a member of the Strategy Team. Currently, I provide strategic communications consulting to organizations and institutions.

Across journalism, education, and institutional communications, my work has centered on one core principle: using clear, compelling storytelling across digital platforms to strengthen brand identity, build engagement, and communicate mission-driven work effectively. As I’ve leveraged all of my experience, I am well-suited to be a leader using strategic storytelling across various digital platforms on a myriad of topics, businesses, events, and experiences to achieve meaningful results by developing clear, compelling narratives that strengthen brand identity and engagement.

-Matt Sugam