June 26, 2017 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue vice president and athletics director Mike Bobinski announced the promotion of three department administrators Monday.
Mike Braughton has been promoted to senior associate athletics director - development, Al Capitos to assistant athletics director - facilities and Chris Clopton to assistant athletics director - major gifts/senior director of development, all effective July 1.
Braughton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2006 as senior director and was promoted to assistant athletics director in 2013 and associate athletics director in 2016. His primary responsibilities are to serve as lead fundraiser and manage all facets of the athletics department portion of the university's "Ever True" $2.019 billion campaign.
Prior to joining the John Purdue Club, Braughton served as director of development for the Oklahoma State athletic scholarship fund since 2004. During his tenure, the annual fund increased revenues by 33 percent. He also served as executive director of the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Sports Commission.
His other experience includes working with the United States Olympic Committee during the summers of 1997, 2001 and 2003, working in the International Games Preparation Division, which included travel logistics, games accreditation for United States delegations participating in international games.
Braughton also has more than six years of media relations experience as an intern with the New Orleans Saints, United States Olympic Committee and Louisiana Tech sports information department. He earned his bachelor's degree in speech communications from Louisiana Tech in 1998. Braughton's wife name is Rebecca.
Capitos came to Purdue in 2005 as sports turf and maintenance superintendent. In that role, he was responsible for the daily operation of all outdoor sporting venues, overseeing routine and specialized facility maintenance, turf care and custodial services.
Previously, Capitos served as campus grounds manager at Johns Hopkins University (2003-05), head groundskeeper of the Baltimore Orioles (1999-2003), head groundskeeper of the Bowie (Maryland) Baysox (1998-99) and assistant field maintenance manager of the Richmond (Virginia) Braves (1998).
A native of State College, Pennsylvania, Capitos earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy/turfgrass science from Penn State in 1998. He served with distinction in the United States Air Force as a flight technician from 1991 to 1996, earning the Air Force Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze service star (for duty during the Persian Gulf War) and Combat Readiness Medal. Capitos is assistant boys' soccer coach at West Lafayette High School. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Joey, Alex and Elise.
Clopton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2007 as an assistant director after spending the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons as a graduate assistant for the Boilermaker football team. He was promoted to associate director in 2011 and senior director in 2013. His primary responsibilities include building major support for student-athletes and sports programs through donor cultivation and fundraising, as well as growing the Varsity P Club by engaging former letterwinners, student-athletes, managers, athletic trainers and cheerleaders.
Clopton was a four-year letterwinner for the Boilermakers from 1997 to 2000. He was a wide receiver, running back and cornerback as well as kickoff return specialist. Clopton's 2000 season proved to be his finest. As part of a Big Ten Conference championship and Rose Bowl team, he registered 41 tackles and four pass breakups. His total of 1,553 kickoff return yards is the fourth-most in school history.
Clopton played Arena 2 Football with the Bossier City-Shreveport (Louisiana) Battle Wings in 2001, and he spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
A native of Linwood, Illinois, Clopton earned a bachelor's degree in computer information systems in 2001 and a master's degree in educational technology in 2007, both from Purdue. He and his wife, Bethany, have two sons, Zion and Jericho, and two daughters, Zimri and Janai.
Mike Braughton has been promoted to senior associate athletics director - development, Al Capitos to assistant athletics director - facilities and Chris Clopton to assistant athletics director - major gifts/senior director of development, all effective July 1.
Braughton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2006 as senior director and was promoted to assistant athletics director in 2013 and associate athletics director in 2016. His primary responsibilities are to serve as lead fundraiser and manage all facets of the athletics department portion of the university's "Ever True" $2.019 billion campaign.
Prior to joining the John Purdue Club, Braughton served as director of development for the Oklahoma State athletic scholarship fund since 2004. During his tenure, the annual fund increased revenues by 33 percent. He also served as executive director of the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Sports Commission.
His other experience includes working with the United States Olympic Committee during the summers of 1997, 2001 and 2003, working in the International Games Preparation Division, which included travel logistics, games accreditation for United States delegations participating in international games.
Braughton also has more than six years of media relations experience as an intern with the New Orleans Saints, United States Olympic Committee and Louisiana Tech sports information department. He earned his bachelor's degree in speech communications from Louisiana Tech in 1998. Braughton's wife name is Rebecca.
Capitos came to Purdue in 2005 as sports turf and maintenance superintendent. In that role, he was responsible for the daily operation of all outdoor sporting venues, overseeing routine and specialized facility maintenance, turf care and custodial services.
Previously, Capitos served as campus grounds manager at Johns Hopkins University (2003-05), head groundskeeper of the Baltimore Orioles (1999-2003), head groundskeeper of the Bowie (Maryland) Baysox (1998-99) and assistant field maintenance manager of the Richmond (Virginia) Braves (1998).
A native of State College, Pennsylvania, Capitos earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy/turfgrass science from Penn State in 1998. He served with distinction in the United States Air Force as a flight technician from 1991 to 1996, earning the Air Force Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze service star (for duty during the Persian Gulf War) and Combat Readiness Medal. Capitos is assistant boys' soccer coach at West Lafayette High School. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Joey, Alex and Elise.
Clopton joined the John Purdue Club staff in 2007 as an assistant director after spending the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons as a graduate assistant for the Boilermaker football team. He was promoted to associate director in 2011 and senior director in 2013. His primary responsibilities include building major support for student-athletes and sports programs through donor cultivation and fundraising, as well as growing the Varsity P Club by engaging former letterwinners, student-athletes, managers, athletic trainers and cheerleaders.
Clopton was a four-year letterwinner for the Boilermakers from 1997 to 2000. He was a wide receiver, running back and cornerback as well as kickoff return specialist. Clopton's 2000 season proved to be his finest. As part of a Big Ten Conference championship and Rose Bowl team, he registered 41 tackles and four pass breakups. His total of 1,553 kickoff return yards is the fourth-most in school history.
Clopton played Arena 2 Football with the Bossier City-Shreveport (Louisiana) Battle Wings in 2001, and he spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
A native of Linwood, Illinois, Clopton earned a bachelor's degree in computer information systems in 2001 and a master's degree in educational technology in 2007, both from Purdue. He and his wife, Bethany, have two sons, Zion and Jericho, and two daughters, Zimri and Janai.