Mary Alice Limperopulos ’13 grew up off North Benson Road, and her grandparents lived off Barlow Road, so it’s no wonder she felt right at home on Fairfield University’s campus.

“I went to basketball camp at Alumni Hall and we used to take walks on campus when I was young,” said Limperopulos, whose mom, Jane (Rehanek) Limperopulos was a member of the Class of 1977. “I was born and raised here and I haven’t left.”

What she didn’t know when she was busy working on her marketing major with a management minor — not to mention her golf swing — was the kind of lasting mark she would make on her hometown.

As a longtime sports marketer for three regional universities, Limperopulos is now a marketing coordinator for the town, and one of Fairfield’s savviest cheerleaders.

Though a legacy, she first considered a Fairfield experience when she took up golf shortly before her high school years at Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall in Milford. Looking to hone her burgeoning skills through lessons, her family sought out an instructor who happened to be Len Roberto, the golf coach at Fairfield.

Her love of and success with the game made her take a serious look at four years at Fairfield. Suddenly, having the opportunity to attend a nationally respected university and compete on a Division I team was within her reach.

While at Fairfield, Limperopulos lived on campus, played on the golf team, and — as a sports enthusiast who loved basketball — was looking for a way to get involved. She went to her first men’s basketball exhibition game in November 2009 as a fan. Soon the first-year student was working as a marketing intern for the Athletics Department.

“I went to that game and I was working at the next one: the men’s basketball regular season home opener,” she said laughing. “It was a great way to get involved and promote the teams.”

It was a natural fit for Limperopulos. After graduation, she stayed on, working in sports marketing and promotions before leaving to spend four seasons with Fordham University, as ticket manager and assistant director for marketing.

While still living in the town of Fairfield, Limperopulos enjoyed working on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, and made frequent trips into Manhattan.

“It was nice to have that opportunity — going in and out of the city and working in the Atlantic 10 [for basketball] and the Patriot League [for football],” she said. “And, it was a likeminded school, still living those Jesuit values, being a man or woman for others.”

From there, Limperopulos served as the assistant director for marketing and fan engagement for Quinnipiac University, adding hockey to the growing list of sports she has promoted. The move brought her back to the same conference as Fairfield, meaning she saw a lot of familiar faces at games and matches.

During her last year at Quinnipiac, in addition to marketing athletic events during the Covid-19 pandemic’s 2020-21 season, Limperopulos also supported the university by working with the quarantine and isolation students through student health services. The challenge of hosting athletic events during a pandemic with no spectators gave her an even broader perspective for the creativity and flexibility needed to succeed in marketing.

Looking for something new, she interviewed for a marketing coordinator position in the Community & Economic Development Department in the Town of Fairfield, and was hired. Limperopulos spent her first couple of months on the job gearing up for Fairfield Restaurant Week. With owners and staff at 28 participating restaurants eager to get back to business after the pandemic, she said she enjoyed the energy and excitement surrounding the event.

“I’m really seeing how my skills from athletics equate with what I’m doing now,” she said. “Season ticketholders have become restaurant owners or local merchants. It’s like getting ready for game day!”

Limperopulos is also working behind the scenes for Experience Fairfield, the town’s website for tourism, and fun things to do and enjoy in Fairfield. Marketing Fairfield is second nature, said Limperopulos, who has a lifetime of experience dining in local restaurants, shopping downtown, and visiting the town’s attractions.

“Working at Town Hall, it’s like being a fan and then getting a behind-the-scenes tour; I can share what I love about Fairfield,” she said. “It’s neat to go to work and work with Fairfield U. in a different way, not only with a vested interest as an employee.” Now being in town, she proudly cheers on her alma mater as often as she can. “And I always see a familiar face.”