Alumni Spotlight: Jodi Navta
2/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Jodi Navta ('97) swam for Jim Richardson's Wolverines helping U-M win four straight Big Ten titles. Navta is a five-time NCAA All-American, four-time NCAA All-America honorable mention and won back-to-back Big Ten titles in the 200-yard breaststroke (1995-96). She still owns the eighth-fastest time in U-M history in the 200-yard breaststroke. Currently she is the vice president of marketing and communications for Coyote, a third-party logistics provider based in Chicago. Coyote is the presenting sponsor of the Hockey City Classic, which is headlined by a pair of outdoor games at Soldier Field this Saturday (Feb. 7). Michigan plays Michigan State at 7 p.m. CST.
Q. Catch us up on your career -- how did you get to Coyote?
A.One of the things I learned at Michigan was that passion fuels commitment and achievement. Everything I've ever been a part of in my professional career has been something that I've been passionate about.
After Michigan I started my career in media at Sports Illustrated, and I loved it. It was a perfect transition because it combined my passion for sports with my desire to learn and grow professionally.
A few years later, I got my master's in journalism from Northwestern, worked for a start-up, and then I spent several years working for my family business with my father and sister. I worked really closely with my father at his educational publishing company that he spent 25 years building from the ground up. I first learned about the importance of company culture from him during that time.
Between 2001 and 2011 I was a four-time entrepreneur. In my current position at Coyote Logistics, I get to combine my experiences in media, marketing, and entrepreneurship as the company's VP of marketing and communications. Coyote was founded in 2006 by another U-M graduate. It's a third-party logistics provider (we match shipping demand and capacity in a highly efficient and technologically advanced fashion across North America). Coyote's culture is amazing, the people are unbelievable, and I love the business. We're one of the fastest-growing companies in Chicago.
Q. This is an exciting time for Coyote -- how did Coyote get involved with the Hockey City Classic?
A. Several people on staff have fallen in love with Charlie Besser's story and how Intersport came into being. We have done some smaller sponsorships in the past but have wanted to figure out a way to work with them in a bigger capacity for a while. Our sponsorship with Chicago Mission has also allowed us to see Intersport in action a few times.
Also, community is really important at Coyote. Embedded in our culture is a commitment to philanthropy, which there is a big component of with the Hockey City Classic, and coupled with the sheer number of hockey enthusiasts and participating school alumni we have among our employees, the Hockey City Classic and the opportunities associated with it is a natural fit.
Q. What will your role be for the Hockey City Classic?
A. Aside from the tactical stuff -- promoting, producing, planning events and supporting it -- I'm coordinating all of our external affairs and marketing efforts. This is one of our first forays into sports marketing, and it's also a wonderful philanthropic opportunity for Coyote. On opening night, we are hosting a game full of NHL and AHL alumni and some of the Chicago Mission coaches and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Q. How did your Michigan experience prepare you for your career?
A.I learned the value of teamwork and culture at Michigan. Both of these qualities were echoed and reinforced first by working with my dad and then by working with Coyote co-founders Jeff and Marianne Silver, CEO and chief people officer, respectively. They are huge believers in the idea that powerful cultures can move mountains in a professional setting. After working with them, I'm a believer, too.
I also learned the real meaning of time management during my time at Michigan. The University and coaches were strong advocates of developing well rounded, high performing student-athletes. We juggled a lot of responsibilities and learned how to prioritize and focus in an unbelievable way. This has transcended every part of my life and career.
Q. How did Coach Richardson help you develop?
A. Jim was a huge proponent of the 'Life, School, and Sports balance.' The second I got out of balance, he intuitively knew how to guide me back to balance. The result was better performance across the board. The goal was not to make better swimmers, but to make better people.
Q. Do you ever catch yourself saying things he said?
A. He was a whistler. I remember walking into the pool on freezing cold mornings, and he would be whistling some silly song standing on the deck. I've never met anyone who whistles when they are unhappy or sad, so it was always uplifting. For me, hearing that whistling put me in the right frame of mind. To this day, when I feel like I have a really good idea or good news that I want to share, I find myself whistling while I think about it. Many times I'm not even aware when I'm doing it until someone points it out.
Q. What is your indelible memory of swimming at Michigan?
A. One of the most memorable moments I ever had at Michigan was before I became a student there. I remember visiting on my recruiting trip and falling madly in love with the place. I fell so head-over-heels that I cancelled the other two trips that I had planned.
There are two other things that stand out to me. First, our training trips over the holiday breaks taught me how to be independent and how to focus. Those trips were so special and so unique. They also were the hardest I've ever trained in my life. Second, the 1995 NCAA championship meet in Austin, Texas, when we were just shy of winning the championship. That was history for U-M swimming. Up until that point, the top three were usually Stanford, Texas and Florida. Being a part of that was incredible.
Q. You were part of some very good teams at Michigan -- what made those teams so good, and what did you learn from that and apply to life after college?
A. The way Chrissi Rawak recruited those teams and put them together is what made them so good; those were the building blocks. We all knew we were part of something special. Sometimes, when you put all the right pieces in place, things click. Jim knew just how hard to push us, too. And we all cared deeply about what we were doing. We learned how to succeed in adverse conditions. We would walk to the pool when it was 30-below, get into our suits and jump into the freezing pool. You have to love Michigan to want to swim at Michigan. That passion certainly pushed me further. I learned that when I'm passionate about something, I'll work harder for it. Now when I look for opportunities, I make sure I'm passionate about them rather than accepting opportunities I know I'll be successful in.
The recently created Office of Alumni Engagement strives to foster a community, recognize the holistic student-athlete and honor the great Michigan Athletics history. This alumni spotlight illustrates the impact that our alumni are having around the world and how they stay engaged with Michigan.
