Sports
Oakland Rec Commissioner Tim Pernetti Tapped by Reeve Foundation
The foundation announced the appointment of the former Rutgers athletic director to its board of directors.
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has tapped Oakland resident and former Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti for its board of directors, the foundation announced Thursday.
Pernetti, who in April resigned his post as Rutgers athletic director after allegations against basketball coach Tim Rice embroiled the university in controversy, also currently volunteers as Oakland Recreation’s football and cheerleading commissioner.
A former sports media executive for ABC Sports and CBS, one event during Pernetti’s tenure at Rutgers from 2009-2013 brings the Reeve Foundation’s work for people suffering from spinal injuries close to home.
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In 2010, Rutgers football defensive lineman Eric LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down following an injury suffered during a televised game between the Scarlet Knights and Army.
“Tim was with me the day of my accident and has never left my side,” LeGrand said in a release from the foundation. “He is a true champion for this cause and I know he will help get us into the end zone—finding a cure for spinal chord injury.”
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According to the foundation, Pernetti was brought on for his personal connection to the cause as well as for his leadership experience, setting fundraising records during his time at Rutgers and closing a deal to bring the university into the Big Ten Conference in 2014.
“It is truly an honor and privilege to serve on the prestigious Reeve Foundation Board of Directors and I look forward to assisting its current members to serve the paralysis community in every way possible,” Pernetti said, according to a release. “We have hit the ground running to raise awareness and funds for the Reeve Foundation’s critical mission and we won’t stop until our goals are achieved.”Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
