St. Bonaventure

Steve Mest has been a member of the Athletics administration since November 1998. In July of 2022, he was promoted into his current role and is now responsible for all Athletics fundraising. The Bonnies Athletic Fund (BAF) and Sixth Man Club both set records for donors and dollars raised in 2023-24, combining to raise over $2.3 million.

From 2017-22, Mest headed the external relations team, which consists of the communications, marketing, fundraising, ticket sales, and corporate sponsorship sales staff. Under his leadership, annual fundraising, corporate sponsorships, and basketball ticket sales all reached then-record highs in 2021-22.

In addition to his Advancement responsibilities, Mest is the sport administrator for men’s soccer and golf including the new women’s program which will start competition in 2026-27. He was the sport administrator for men’s basketball from 2019-22, helping guide the program through the pandemic while the team won the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship, reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the NIT semifinals in 2022. In 2019-20, Mest led the event planning for the 100th Anniversary season of men's basketball as well as the 50th anniversary and reunion of the 1970 Final Four team. He also was the sport administrator for men’s lacrosse in 2024-25 and hired new coach Brendan Storrier in 2025.

Mest previously served as Senior Associate AD for External Relations, Associate AD for Strategic Communications and Assistant AD for Communications. 

He is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Active on and off campus, Mest was appointed to the Department's Facilities Planning Committee, Strategic Planning committee and has chaired the Hall of Fame Selection committee since 2003. In 2024-25, he was one of the initial cohort to selected to BonaLeads: President’s Leadership Academy.

A native of Reading, Pa., Mest earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Bonaventure in 1991 and a master's degree in Professional Leadership from St. Bonaventure in 2004. He was a member of the Bonnies golf team for three years and captained the squad his senior year.

Mest and his wife Angela, a native of Olean, reside in Olean and have three children: Sam, Anna and Joe.