About Mae

Mae at 2023 NHL Stadium Series between Capitals and Hurricanes

MAE WHITESIDES — DYNAMIC AND CREATIVE

My personal “brand” is defined by my drive and enthusiasm to excel at social media, communications and marketing.

I love working as part of a team. The synergy that comes from brainstorming, bouncing ideas off of others and working through problems together can be satisfying and productive.

But I also like the opportunity to take the initiative whenever possible. I’m constantly thinking about new ideas, researching the latest social media and marketing strategies and best practices, and teaching myself new skills. For example, I taught myself how to use Adobe Creative Suite applications to create higher quality content for social media and websites.

I currently lead the social strategy and content for NHL Network and assist with the same for MLB Network. I'm the NHL Network liaison with USA Hockey, NHL Social, Club Social and other external groups as well as internal departments. I love traveling to cover big events, such as the Stanley Cup Final, World Series and NHL and MLB All-Star, and getting content on-site.

Previously, I was the engine behind most of the content on NBC Sports Washington's social media platforms, creating graphics, editing clips and gifs, devising interesting and humorous content, following social media trends then quickly creating engaging content to capitalize on those trends, and as part of my social media toolkit, I have developed handy knowledge of a variety of memes.

I'm a quick learner and I know how to roll with anything that comes my way. In my job at NBC Sports Washington, I was originally hired in March 2020 to assist with social media, but due to unexpected staffing circumstances five months later, I was suddenly thrust into sole ownership of social media responsibilities. Just two days before covering my first live NHL game, I had to learn 22 sponsored elements and game day SOP, which I employed to great success. For my first NBA game, I had to learn the sponsored elements and SOP in one afternoon.

I graduated with a Bachelor's of Science degree from George Mason University in May 2019, and received a Digital Marketing Certificate from Cornell University in March 2021.

Mae Whitesides (parody) senior highlight reel

SPORTS & ME

Sports have always been an important part of my life.

I grew up playing soccer, basketball and softball, attending basketball camp in the summer and soccer clinics run by players from the then-professional women’s soccer team, the Washington Freedom.

Meanwhile, my enjoyment as a fan grew. My family took many trips to watch the St. Louis Cardinals and the basketball teams at North Carolina and Kansas play. We also attended local college football games and women’s basketball games and minor league baseball games. When Washington finally got a professional baseball team, I became a Nationals fan.

But hockey holds a special place in my heart. My love for the game started in elementary school, when my dad took my brother and I to a Washington Capitals-New York Rangers game that turned into an all-out brawl. The game was fast, the atmosphere was electric, and I was hooked.

When I began at George Mason University, I reached out to the school hockey coach to see if they needed help with social media. While they originally hired me to post on social media about home games and live-tweet the games, my role quickly expanded to become a one-woman digital media/communications/marketing department.

The hockey team had just a couple hundred followers on social media when I started, but I worked hard to turn their following into an actual social community and fan base. I came up with new ideas and marketing initiatives to elevate the team's brand online, on campus and in the community; improve fan engagement; and generate revenue through increased attendance at games. My efforts more than tripled the team's home game attendance.

I was also lucky enough to start working part-time for the Washington Capitals' marketing department in the 2017-18 season when they won the Stanley Cup.

See my contact page if you would like to get in touch!

CONTACT MAE