How a BGSU alumnus leveraged education, experiences to build a 30-year career with the Cleveland Guardians

Curtis Danburg '96 credits his BGSU education and a career-focused strategy with his professional success

From a very early point in his college days, Bowling Green State University alumnus Curtis Danburg ‘96 knew that working in professional sports would require commitment, sacrifice and persistence.

But above all, he would need a strategic approach to his education by gaining the wealth of experience that would strengthen his resume.

As a freshman sport management major and a lifelong Cleveland baseball fan, the Mentor, Ohio, native let his BGSU advisor, Janet Parks, Ph.D., now retired, know that his dream was to one day work for his hometown baseball team, then known as the Indians.

“It was my first week at Bowling Green, and after I told Dr. Parks what my goal was, she gave me some valuable guidance, and I started pursuing that goal,” said Danburg, now in his 30th year working in a variety of roles for the Cleveland team, now known as the Guardians.

“That’s when the light bulb went on for me. I walked out to the stadium, to the BGSU Athletics Department and volunteered to help out in the sports information office.”

Building experience early and often

Danburg worked throughout his four years on campus for then BGSU Sports Information Director Steve Barr, compiling statistics, serving as the press box announcer, writing game notes – whatever needed done – for football, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, hockey and more.

He said the coursework in his major, the guidance from Parks and other faculty members, and the experience he gained in the sports information office combined to put him in a position to intensify the job pursuit after his 1996 graduation.

“The foundation was in place,” said Danburg, who brought key figures in the sports world to campus in his role as co-chairman of the Sport Management Alliance, an undergraduate pre-professional student organization that remains active today.

“Making those contacts and taking advantage of all of those opportunities and experiences at BG allowed me to get my foot in the door.”

From internship to the big leagues

After college, Danburg interned with the Buffalo Bisons, then Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, and eventually moved up to the big-league club, first working as an unpaid intern in media relations while also holding down jobs at the suburban team shop and waiting tables at Longhorn.

He moved into a paid position with the team for the historic 1997 season, working in the press box as Cleveland hosted the All-Star Game and played in the World Series. A promotion followed in 1998, and Danburg continued to travel with the team until 2005, when he moved to a post in corporate communications.

His career kept growing on the team’s business side, and Danburg advanced into a leadership role in communications in 2011. He then was named the team’s vice-president of communications and community impact in 2020, overseeing a wide swath of club operations.

“My role has changed, but for me it is still about having the opportunity to work for the team I grew up loving,” said Danburg, who received a College Alumni Award from BGSU in 2018. 

“When I speak to the BGSU students, my message is the same – it’s about getting your education and taking advantage of every opportunity to gain experience. When you get experience, you meet people, and when you meet people, doors open. I didn’t wait until I had to do an internship to get experience – I started that as a freshman.”