Tessmer Receives Bobby Pope Service to Sports Award
5/14/2021 11:18:00 AM | Athletics Department
Jim Tessmer has been a fixture in Macon for over 30 years.
MACON, Ga. – The Macon Sports Hall of Fame inducted eight new members and honored one of Mercer University's best employees, Jim Tessmer, with a one-of-a-kind award earlier this week.
Tessmer, who has been at Mercer full-time since 2006, received the first Bobby Pope Service to Sports Award. The award is named after the longtime Mercer Athletic Director who retired in 2010 and passed away in September of 2020. Pope began his time at Mercer as the Sports Information Director in 1980 before becoming the Director of Athletics in 1989, a post he held for 21 years.
Tessmer has dedicated more than three decades of service to Macon, Ga, including time with the front offices of the Macon Braves and Macon Pirates before coming to Mercer. He currently serves as the Athletic Event Coordinator for the athletic department, a job he has held for 15 years. Tessmer started at Mercer when Historic Porter Gym was in operation, keeping the scorebook for the basketball programs from 2000-04 before applying for his current position in 2006.
Tessmer is in charge of making sure all visiting teams & officials are properly taken care of as they face Mercer in athletic competition in the University Center and also ensuring that all athletic events are properly coordinated, not only through the athletic department but also through National Management Resources. In addition to continuing his 20-plus years streak of keeping the official scorebook at basketball games, he does public address announcing for softball, baseball and lacrosse while also assisting with concessions at soccer, volleyball and baseball.
Within the community, Tessmer has served as an on-air personality and overnight engineer at WPEZ in Macon while also taking on multiple leadership roles as a member of the Kiwanis Club.
Tessmer, who received recognition on the 2018-19 All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team, married his wife Melissa in 1990. The couple has adopted five children.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Athletics, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBears (Twitter), /MercerAthletics (Facebook) and @MercerAthletics (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Tessmer, who has been at Mercer full-time since 2006, received the first Bobby Pope Service to Sports Award. The award is named after the longtime Mercer Athletic Director who retired in 2010 and passed away in September of 2020. Pope began his time at Mercer as the Sports Information Director in 1980 before becoming the Director of Athletics in 1989, a post he held for 21 years.
Tessmer has dedicated more than three decades of service to Macon, Ga, including time with the front offices of the Macon Braves and Macon Pirates before coming to Mercer. He currently serves as the Athletic Event Coordinator for the athletic department, a job he has held for 15 years. Tessmer started at Mercer when Historic Porter Gym was in operation, keeping the scorebook for the basketball programs from 2000-04 before applying for his current position in 2006.
Tessmer is in charge of making sure all visiting teams & officials are properly taken care of as they face Mercer in athletic competition in the University Center and also ensuring that all athletic events are properly coordinated, not only through the athletic department but also through National Management Resources. In addition to continuing his 20-plus years streak of keeping the official scorebook at basketball games, he does public address announcing for softball, baseball and lacrosse while also assisting with concessions at soccer, volleyball and baseball.
Within the community, Tessmer has served as an on-air personality and overnight engineer at WPEZ in Macon while also taking on multiple leadership roles as a member of the Kiwanis Club.
Tessmer, who received recognition on the 2018-19 All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team, married his wife Melissa in 1990. The couple has adopted five children.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Athletics, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBears (Twitter), /MercerAthletics (Facebook) and @MercerAthletics (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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