The NHL is celebrating women in hockey, and every week this season, NHL.com will highlight a woman from each of the 32 teams. Today, a look at Columbus Blue Jackets executive director, Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and senior director, community development Andee Cochren:
Name: Andee Cochren
Job title: Executive Director, Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and Sr. Director, Community Development
Education: Bachelor of Science, Recreation & Leisure Services - University of Las Vegas, Nevada
Years of hockey experience: (Include on- and off-ice hockey-related experience): 32 years
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences:
My role is responsible for creating and implementing a community investment strategy for the brand, incorporating both philanthropic endeavors and team-driven initiatives. Essentially, my role acts as a liaison between the team and the community, working to create meaningful and beneficial connections between the two, thus strengthening the Blue Jackets’ brand and broadening our fan base.
What career advice can you give others?
Be open to new opportunities either in your current position or outside it. Be open to new experiences and challenges that can broaden your skills and help you grow professionally.
What do you love most about your job?
Every day brings a new opportunity, and it's amazing to inspire others through hockey. The most fulfilling aspect of my job is pursuing my passion and giving back. I was fortunate enough to have a shot at hockey as a child growing up in a non-traditional hockey market, and that chance gave me everything I have today. What I cherish most about my job is the fact that I can offer that same inspiration to the community I now call home, whether it's introducing them to our sport, supplying a kid with a hockey stick, or using our brand to make a difference in the city. It's about how sports can unify a community.
How would your closest friends describe you?
Those closest to me would characterize me as someone who is kind, determined, fiercely loyal, a proactive individual who always strives for success, highly resourceful, and quick to laugh at myself.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the journey I took to pursue my passion, which led me to where I am today. By that I mean I left my hometown of Las Vegas to attend college in Denver and play hockey, a city where I knew no one. After graduation, I was fortunate enough to secure my dream job working in the NHL and relocated to Florida, yet again without any personal connections. And, I made similar moves after that to Nashville, and most recently, to Columbus where I had no prior connections. It was only a few years ago that I acknowledged the strength it took to pursue my passion and recognized that others may not find it easy to do the same.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Italy
What’s your favorite book?
“Way of the Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman
One thing you can’t live without:
My support system
Do you collect anything?
Wine
What is your hobby outside of work?
Working on my golf game, training my puppy and playing hockey in a women’s rec league.
