FORT MYERS, Fla. - Denise Da Silveira has been tabbed the 2019-20 recipient of FGCU's Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award, which is annually bestowed upon a staff member who personifies the proverbial definition of someone who bleeds the "Green and Blue."   The recognition is named after longtime Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs Emeritus Butch Perchan who was the first recipient of the honor in 2012, which was then labeled the "Green & Blue Award" and renamed at his retirement in 2014.
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Da Silveira, who is in her 11th year with FGCU Athletics, serves as the department's Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Sales. She is responsible for game-day experience and provides strategic leadership for the external relations team. Since the start of her tenure, she has spearheaded increased average attendances across many of the 15 FGCU Division-I sports with various programs hosting record-breaking events.
 
"Denise is a valued staff member, teammate and mentor who certainly epitomizes the criteria for the Perchan Award," FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh said. "Her tenure has not only been marked by significant overall results, but via her love for the Green & Blue and dedicated passion for making our overall University better. It is also neat to note that her FGCU career commenced when she was hired by Butch himself."
 
Da Silveira was responsible for the creation of Eagle Revolution, which reached its 10th year last fall and has become a marquee event for FGCU's Week of Welcome, with over 3,000 students attending annually. The event is designed to introduce freshmen to athletics and the Dirty Birds - the largest membership based student fan group in Florida. She also created Dunk City After Dark, an event hosted annually since 2013.
 
A major expansion of student internships for marketing, business, hospitality and sports management majors has also occurred as part of Da Silveira's initiative. In addition to game day marketing opportunities, interns lead summer orientation sessions so freshmen are introduced to FGCU Athletics and the Dirty Birds during their summer orientation experience. Dunk City 101 was started in 2013 as a summer orientation session, giving students a sneak peek at the campus spirit and culture supporting FGCU Athletics and Eagle pride.
 
"I am very thankful to be a recipient of this prestigious award," Da Silveira said. "This recognition is incredibly touching and means a great deal to me. Over the years, Butch has provided both impactful and meaningful contributions to this University, thus positively influencing both our student athletes and the overall SWFL community, and I strive daily to provide some small measure of the same."
 
Da Silveira also works with several local charity organizations in conjunction with FGCU events supporting the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, Play 4 Kay, Coaches vs Cancer and Laces of Love, a Naples charity supported by Chris and Brianne Sale.
 
For more info on previous winners of the Perchan Award, visit here.
 
For complete coverage of FGCU athletics, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@FGCUEagles), Instagram (@FGCUAthletics) and Facebook (@FGCUAthletics) and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU athletics and all 15 sport programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 24, 2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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