Mark Wharton
Executive Director
252-737-4540
whartonm@ecu.edu

Mark Wharton was appointed executive director of the Pirate Club in July 2006 by athletics director Terry Holland. 

His acceptance to direct and provide leadership to the ECU Athletics development and fund-raising organization marks the 1993 graduate’s return to the departmental staff after a four-year tenure as the Pirate Club’s assistant director from 1996 to 2000. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in leisure studies with a concentration in community and commercial recreation from ECU in 1993 before adding a master’s in human ecology with an emphasis in sport management from the University of Tennessee in 1995. 

Wharton rejoins the Pirate family after serving as associate director of athletics for development at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas for the past two years, where he headed all development and fundraising activities for the Rebels’ intercollegiate athletics program. In addition to directing all annual giving, major gift and capital campaigns for the Rebel Athletic Fund (RAF), Wharton also provided oversight to UNLV’s donor seat program for football and basketball campaigns while working as the liaison with ESPN Regional Marketing Group on all ticket and fulfillment for the athletics department in 2004. 

Wharton is married to the former Michelle Brunson and the couple has two children – son Thomas (4) and a daughter Allison (2).