In December, 2016, Dot Sheehan, licensing director for athletics at UNHInnovation (UNHI), took the final steps to retire from UNH and move into the full-time role of president of Operation Hat Trick® (OHT). Dot founded OHT in 2007 and it is UNH’s first and only nonprofit startup company. It is a nationally and internationally recognized organization that raises awareness, support, and funding for the recovery of wounded service members and veterans through the sale of OHT branded merchandise. Proceeds of these sales are donated to organizations that support the OHT mission. As president, Dot will oversee every aspect of the nonprofit’s activities, including business development, public relations, licensing, donations, fundraising, promotions, and customer contact.
Prior to joining UNHI, Dot was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at UNH for 19 years. In athletics, she oversaw ticket sales, marketing and promotions, licensing, television and radio contracts, and athletic media relations. After founding OHT, Dot continued to work at UNH and was OHT’s part-time CEO for several years. But the non-profit grew quickly, and it became clear that OHT needed her full attention and leadership to continue to expand and fulfill its mission. Dot joined UNHI at the end of 2015 to transition the oversight and management of athletic and institutional trademarks to our licensing managers.
UNHI is lucky to have been able to work with such an extraordinary and hardworking person and we are grateful to Dot for her patience and guidance over the years. We look forward to watching OHT continue to grow under her leadership and we wish Dot all the best as she pursues her passion of helping wounded service members and veterans.
More about OHT:
- OHT has donated more than $550,000 to more than 30 organizations that support its mission.
- Organizations including Canine Companions for Independence, the Adaptive Training Foundation, New England Center and Home for Veterans, Healing Wounds, Northeast Passage, Liberty House, Homes for Our Troops, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Veterans Count, the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Travis Mills Foundation, Project Sanctuary, Semper Fi Fund and the Yellow Ribbon Fund have all benefited from OHT donations.
- Funds from OHT have helped provide custom adaptive equipment, shoes for prosthetic legs, service dogs, a cabin for recovering veterans, emergency funds for travel, rent, and fuel for those in hospitals and their loved ones, and much more.
- Currently, 338 colleges and universities, 70 minor league baseball teams, NASCAR, 21 NHL teams and more than 100 companies, including Sig Sauer, Texas Roadhouse, Geriatric Medical, and Wilcox Industries offer branded merchandise through Operation Hat Trick.
Check out this video to learn a little more about Operation Hat Trick!
