After 11 years of running the promotions department for a group of five radio stations, Shannon Stephens steps out of the studio and onto the track, into her new role as communications manager at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Stephens joins the New Hampshire Motor Speedway team after spending the last eight and a half years as the promotions and marketing coordinator at Saga Communications' Manchester Radio Group, which owns and operates WZID/95.7 FM, The Mill/96.5 FM, WFEA/1370 AM & 99.9 FM, Hot Hits/94.1 FM, and The Outlaw/103.1 FM. During her tenure at the radio group, Stephens managed all station appearances, remote live broadcasts, on-air contesting and the Street Team. Prior to that, she was a member of the radio group's Street Team for over two years.
"Shannon has a proven track record of success and well-rounded proficiency in the communications field," said Kristen Lestock, director of communications at the speedway. "She joins our team with a great deal of local media contacts, event experience and enthusiasm for the job. I know that Shannon will be a valuable asset to the speedway and I can't wait to see the positive impact that she has on our promoting our business."
As the speedway's communications manager, Stephens will be responsible for a variety of duties within the communications department focusing on written communications and advanced media including developing and editing press releases, marketing copy, souvenir programs, fan guides and brochures. She will also be responsible for pitching, planning, and executing all publicity events, as well as assist the communications department in day-to-day activities, promotions, and other projects.
Stephens, though new to this role, is a familiar face at the speedway, having served as the hostess in Chairman Bruton Smith's, CEO Marcus Smith's and General Manager David McGrath's corporate suite during NASCAR weekends since September 2015.
Born in Nashua, N.H. and raised in Merrimack, N.H., Stephens developed an interest in the communications field early on. While still in high school, she interned at Merrimack Public Access TV. She excelled in this role and was quickly given her own talk show, where she was in charge of scheduling, prepping, and interviewing guests for the show. This led her to anchor the town's first-ever live election night coverage and confirmed her future career choice prior to co-anchoring a college news channel and interning at WMUR-TV/ABC 9 in Manchester, N.H.
Stephens graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. She currently resides in Manchester, N.H. with her dog, Bailey.
