DAVID BROWN
Executive Vice President
idegy Inc.
2003

David Brown has been working in the sports industry in sales and marketing for over 30 years and currently is Executive Vice President of idegy, a branded merchandise company that works with some of the biggest brands and professional sports teams in the world. Previously he was the Director of National Sales at FishBait Marketing, which represents the college football and basketball coaches’ associations and the Football Bowl Association. Prior to working at FishBait he was Regional Vice President at IMG College where he managed IMG College’s Big Ten and Big East properties that included Ohio State, Michigan, Cincinnati, and Connecticut.

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Prior to joining IMG College, David was the Associate Athletics Director of External Relations at The Ohio State University. With ten years at Ohio State, he also served as Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing, and, upon his arrival in Columbus, the Director of Marketing and Promotions.

Prior to joining the Buckeyes, David worked at The University of Oklahoma as Assistant Director of Marketing & Promotions and then served as Director of Marketing at Indiana University for six years.

David received his B.A. in Journalism (Public Relations) in 1991 from The University of Oklahoma. While pursing his degree, he worked in Media Relations as a Student Assistant from 1988 to 1991.

David lives in Powell, Ohio with his wife and daughter. He is very active in the field of sports marketing. He is past President of The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and served on the Branding and Marketing committee for NCAA Football for several years. He currently serves on the Steering Committee for The National Sports Forum.


TOM SHERIDAN
Co-Founder
SportsBiz Builders
2010

In 1991, Tom began his sports career as a summer sales intern with the Chicago Bulls before being hired by the Chicago White Sox. In 1995 he took a position at Elite Marketing as the Manager of Sports Marketing and Sales and before his return to the White Sox, Tom took the Director of Marketing and Advertising position at Balmoral Park Racetrack in 1997.

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In 1999, Tom returned to the Chicago White Sox, as Manager of Ticket Sales, where he was responsible for the implementation of all sales strategies as they pertained to ticket sales and service. In 2004, he added premium seating to his responsibilities and was elevated to Senior Director of Ticket Sales. He has developed and overseen the creation of the Magellan Scout Seats, Guaranteed Rate Home Plate Club, The CIBC Fan Deck, Warning Track and Bullpen Party Porch areas

In 2017, Tom left the White Sox after 23 seasons to become the Senior V.P. of Business Operations at the Chicago Dogs, a new minor league baseball team in Rosemont, Illinois. The Chicago Dogs participate in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball League and are one of 12 teams competing for the league championship in 2018.

In 2018, he moved on to become the Chief Operating Officer at Incentivefox Marketing Solutions in suburban Chicago. Incentivefox is a marketing firm that provides a best-in-class, customizable sales referral platform to reward and track leads generated by targeted sales programs. Their multi-solution technology automates enrollment, tracking, and reward management for customers and employees at a low acquisition cost. Using digital, mobile and incentive marketing products, they make it easy to grow client business using behavior as a model for growth.

Entering that final act, Tom has partnered with long-time sports business professional, Ken Troupe, and started SportsBiz Builders (www,sportsbizbuilders.com) A career coaching and consulting firm working with sports clients across the country! Tom and his wife, Mary, have been together for over 25 years. He has a 23 year-old daughter, Grace, who is attending Marquette University post graduate and enrolled in their Physicians Assistant (P.A.) program. Ryan, their 21 year-old son, is a junior at Purdue University and double majoring in Professional Flight and Airport Management. Hoping to be a commercial pilot and getting us free flights in retirement! Last but not least, we have our 4 1/2 year old Cockapoo, Oliver (Ollie) to keep us company while the kids are away at school!


MARY PINK
Associate Athletics Director, Marketing
Iowa State Athletics Department
2010

Mary Pink oversees all marketing efforts including branding, ticket sales, advertising, gameday atmosphere, promotional strategies, merchandise, and licensing.

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Under her direction, the athletics department has broken several football & men’s basketball season ticket sales records, secured over 55 straight home football crowds of 50,000 or more, Women’s basketball has continuously been in the top ten nationally in attendance for the over 21 years.

Pink has developed many programs to help foster game atmosphere, fan support and branding. She started the basketball student spirit group, Cyclone Alley now with 3,750 members and the Jr. Cyclone Club, kid’s club that now has over 5,500 members.  She created and implemented two football throwback games for Iowa State.

Pink began at ISU in 1995 as an assistant marketing director, then promoted to marketing manager in 1996.  She was named director of marketing in 1998, assistant athletics director in 2005 and then named to her current role of associate athletics director in 2008.

Pink graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Communication and received her master’s degree from Iowa State University in Higher Education. She and her husband, Kenny have a daughter, Addison, 18 and a son Wyatt, 16.


ANDY MILOVICH
Chief Marketing Officer
Awarity
2015

Andy joined Awarity as the Chief Marketing Officer in November 2020, after 30 seasons as a leader in Minor League Baseball. Awarity is a MarTech Company in Frisco, Texas, that uses automation and AI to deliver industry leading performance in Digital Display and Connected TV Advertising. Awarity’s clientele includes clients of all sizes in B2B, B2C and over 200 clients in Sports & Entertainment.

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Awarity’s annual revenue has tripled since Milovich began leading the sales and
marketing team. The incredible growth landed Awarity in the 2023 Inc. 5000 as #2399
on the list of fastest growing privately held businesses in America.

Prior to launching his career in digital media, Milovich worked in Minor League Baseball
with 25 years as a General Manager or Team President. He led the Frisco
RoughRiders and Myrtle Beach Pelicans on behalf of the Greenberg Sports Group from
2013 to 2020. His experience includes the opening of three new ballparks in Erie (PA),
Mahoning Valley (Niles, OH) and Charleston (WV) on behalf of Palisades Baseball over
18 years.

Milovich was the recipient of The Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year
following the franchise’s third consecutive New York-Penn League attendance record
during the 1997 season. He earned Executive of the Year honors in the New York-Penn
League, South Atlantic League and Carolina League.

Andy resides in Frisco with his wife Cher and daughters Addison Eileen and Dylan
Stone. The South Bend, Indiana native graduated from Valparaiso University where he
obtained a B.S. in both Business Administration and Sports Management. He was a
four-year member of the Men’s Baseball Team. He earned a Master’s in Sports
Management from the University of Georgia.


DAVE MULLINS
Senior VP, Client Development
rEvolution
2015

A 20-year veteran of the sports industry, Dave Mullins currently serves as Senior Vice President of Client Development at rEvolution. rEvolution is an integrated sports marketing agency who specializes in sponsorship consulting, creative strategy, experiential, PR, media services and measurement – with a client roster that includes Continental Tires, American Family Insurance, FIFA, Concacaf, ESPN and Chipotle.

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Mullins joined rEvolution in 2018 and his primary role is advancing agency new business, developing relevant, impactful and innovative marketing solutions for clients, as well as unlocking, leading, pitching and winning competitive RFPs.

Prior to his current role at rEvolution, Mullins spent 12 years at GMR Marketing. During his last half of tenure at GMR he served as Vice President of Client Development, where he helped lead numerous account wins for the agency including Intel, Google and Esurance.

In the first half of his tenure at GMR, Mullins was an Account Director on Visa. While working on Visa’s NFL, NASCAR, Disney, golf and MLB team deals, he focused on managing Visa’s extensive sponsorship assets, leveraging their pass-through rights for member banks and merchants, as well as bringing to life money-can’t-buy experiences for Visa Signature cardholders.

Mullins began his career with the National Sports Forum (NSF), where he spent four years working his way up in the organization from intern to Vice President, and by the end of his tenure he was tasked with all business operations and marketing efforts of the company. Mullins now sits on the NSF Steering Committee and has been a speaker at that event, as well as other notable industry events such as SXSW, the Experiential Marketing Summit, and Brand Innovators.

A graduate of San Diego State University, Mullins has a BS in Communications with an Emphasis in Advertising. He currently lives in San Diego with his wife Taina, daughter Penelope and son Sebastian.


ERIC STISSER
VP, Corporate Sponsorship
St. Louis Blues
2015

Eric Stisser is the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the St. Louis Blues and Enterprise Center. Stisser has been with the organization since 2006 and is responsible for developing and managing the business relationships and generating revenues in corporate partnerships, signage, media, community relations, promotions and executive suite sales.

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Stisser also serves on the Leadership Team for the development of special events and the overall branding for the Blues and Enterprise Center. Stisser played a lead role in the sales process and negotiation of the new naming rights partnership with Enterprise Center in 2018. The highlights of Eric’s tenure with the Blues are the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship and also hosting the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend in St. Louis. Prior to joining the Blues, Stisser worked for the St. Louis Rams for 8 seasons as Director of Corporate Sales + Marketing. Stisser played a key role in the stadium naming rights partnership of the Edward Jones Dome in 2001 and attributes the 2000 Super Bowl Title as his best memory with the Rams. Before Stisser worked for the Rams, he was the Assistant Director of Business Development for the Continental Basketball Association League Office in St. Louis. Stisser served as the Assistant Director of Admissions and Development at his alma mater, Lake Forest Academy, in suburban Chicago. Stisser was also an assistant coach in football, basketball and baseball. Stisser volunteers his time and leadership with various charity groups and organizations. Eric serves on the Boards at Central Institute for the Deaf, Mosaic Financial Services, Washington University Sports Management Program and DePauw Alumni Association. 

Stisser received his undergraduate degree in communications from DePauw University in 1994. While at DePauw, Stisser played quarterback on the football team, was active in broadcast journalism, served as President of SAE Fraternity and he completed an internship at ESPN in Bristol, CT. Stisser later earned his MBA at Washington University in St. Louis in 2001. Eric lives in Webster Groves with his wife, Rebecca, and his two children, Emily (21) and Graham (18).


LISA WOODWARD
Director of Sponsorships
Anheuser-Busch
2016

Lisa Woodward joined Anheuser-Busch in November 2015 and is currently their director of sponsorships and experiential. In this role she oversees the company’s sponsorship strategy and is responsible for negotiating partnerships for the company’s vast portfolio of beer brands.

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Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch, Lisa spent eight years with the St. Louis Rams, most recently as their director of marketing and advertising where she was responsible for managing and overseeing the execution of Rams advertising, including the development of creative and the placement of ads throughout the St. Louis region. Lisa is active in several industry and community organizations. She has participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2009, is on the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board, and serves as the vice president of the Saint Louis University John Cook School of Business Alumni Board. She was nominated to the inaugural Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment cohort at the National Sports Forum in 2013 and served on the Steering Committee for the BDSE from 2015-2017. She has served on the National Sports Forum Steering Committee since 2016.

Lisa graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in business administration and a minor in Spanish. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a master’s degree in business administration. Born in Peoria, Illinois, Lisa lives outside St. Louis with her husband, Rob, and their sons, Bo, TJ & Ty.


JOHN DAVIS
Chief Operating Officer
Wheeling Nailers
2018

John currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Wheeling Nailers Hockey Team (ECHL), where he oversees all business operations. The Nailers, celebrating 30 years in Wheeling W.V. in 2022, are one of the longest tenured teams in minor league hockey.

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John previously served as Senior Director of Sales at Churchill Downs, overseeing the Suite, Premium, Special Events and Ticket Sales departments, spanning the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and the entire racing calendar.

Prior to Churchill Downs, John was Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service for the Cleveland Browns Football Team (NFL), Cincinnati Reds Baseball Team (MLB), and the New York Islanders Hockey Team (NHL), as well as Sr. Vice President/Asst. General Manager for Mandalay Baseball Properties (see: old). John graduated with a B.A. in Sports Marketing from Xavier University. He and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, Campbell and Rosella.


PAIGE FARRAGUT
Executive VP, Partner Development Strategy

FEVO
2019

Paige Farragut is entering her 27th year working for and with professional sports teams. She is currently an Executive Vice President, Partner Success for the tech company, FEVO. She oversees client relationships with sports teams across the country to generate revenue using various tech platforms. Paige also collaborates with teams regarding innovation and best practices.

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Prior to joining Fevo, Paige was most recently the Senior Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club where she served on the Executive Leadership Team for 12 years and was responsible for revenue generation through the sale of season, group, and individual tickets as well as long-term and game day suite leases. This included the management of 40 sales professionals. The Rangers established franchise records for season attendance and ticket revenue under her leadership. From 2016 to 2020 Paige played an integral role planning and executing the team’s transition into Globe Life Field. She led the sales and service teams as they sold new and enhanced product offerings while securing multi-year commitments to current and new premium season ticket and long-term suite members. This also included group and hospitality sales for Globe Life Field, while also overseeing all ticket/ premium sales at Globe Life Park, as the new ballpark was under construction.

Prior to being serving on the Executive Team as SVP, Ticket Sales and Service, Paige was appointed Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service in 2011. In addition, Farragut served as Vice President, Suite and Group Sales for the Rangers for many years. She began her career as an Account Executive selling season and group tickets for the Dallas Stars in 1996 and joined the Rangers’ ticket and suite sales operation in 1999 when the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and the Mesquite Championship Rodeo merged under Southwest Sports Group, where all sales members sold for all three operations. Paige is active in several industry and community organizations. Currently she serves on the National Sports Forum Committee. Paige serves as the Vice President of Young Men in the Irving Chapter of Young Men’s Service League with her oldest son and is also serving on the Board of Directors for Incarnation House. Paige also served on the Operations Committee of the Texas Rangers Season Ticket/ Suite Member Advisory Board for 19 years. She is an alum of the 2010 Leadership Dallas Class and has served on the Leadership Council for
the Texas Health Research and Education Institute. Paige held the position of President of the Parent Teacher Fellowship Committee for two years and was a member of the Board of Directors for Wesley Prep where her children were students.

Paige is a graduate of Texas State University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication. Paige and her sons, Jackson (17) and Preston (14) reside in Dallas.


BRIAN RICHESON
EVP, Business Development
seasonshare
2019

Brian Richeson has over 26 seasons of experience with MLB teams.  He began his career with the KC Royals in 1998, and advanced to the Diamondbacks in 1999, where he grew his career from Group Sales Rep to Director of Season Ticket Sales.  He joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007 as Vice President of Sales and Service, and held several leadership positions, most recently with Corporate Partnerships.

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Richeson earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. He currently serves on the executive board of directors of Leadership Tampa Bay after serving as president of Leadership Tampa Bay in 2012-13, and served on the advisory board of Visit Tampa Bay. Richeson is also an Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base. He and his wife, Nichole, reside in Tampa with their son, Brett.


RON CONTORNO
President
Full House Solutions
2020

Ron Contorno is President and Founder of Full House Solutions. Full House Solutions is a full-service direct and digital marketing agency that specializes in helping their partners find new season ticket, group sales, and premium seating customers.

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Since 1998, the company has helped over 900 sports and entertainment organizations with targeted sales campaigns, including 20+ teams in each of the major leagues plus hundreds of minor league teams, colleges/universities, race tracks, concert venues, golf tournaments, amusement parks, and arenas/stadiums.


KEVIN HILTON
VP, Corporate Partnerships
San Francisco 49ers
2021

Kevin Hilton is in his 10th season with the 49ers and currently serves as the Vice President, Corporate Partnerships.  In his role, he oversees the partnership sales and activation teams which develop and implement fully integrated marketing platforms designed around the 49ers, College Bowl Game, 49ers Enterprise properties, and other major Levi’s Stadium events.

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During his time with the 49ers, Hilton has utilized the rich tradition of the 49ers brand and the organization’s innovative mentality to establish impactful partnerships with several reputable companies.  Through these innovative relationships, he has successfully designed programs that have helped showcase partners’ brands and technologies in a way that uniquely tells their brand story while also improving the overall fan experience.

Before joining the 49ers, Hilton was with the San Jose Sharks and Sacramento River Cats. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento and now resides in Danville, California where he enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife and daughter.


KATIE FOGLIA
Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Innovation
Columbus Crew
2022

As a strategic sports marketer, Katie Foglia (@ktfogs) has worked for or advised brands, charities, teams and leagues around the world at virtually every level, including organizations in NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA, NASCAR, NBA G League, MiLB, USL, AHL, esports, Sports ETA, Olympic NGB’s, International Cricket Council, Irish Rugby Football Union, Cricket Australia, Netball New Zealand and more.

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Katie’s key areas of expertise include brand positioning and storytelling, social media content strategy, global sponsorship consulting, non-traditional revenue generation, data-driven idea generation and world-class partner management.

As the Sr. Director, Brand Strategy & Innovation at the Columbus Crew, Katie leads the in-house creative agency responsible for the overarching brand strategy and identity development of the Club. In her role, Katie oversees brand, creative services, social/ digital media, content strategy and production and business solutions.

In 2017, Katie received her Master of Sports Administration from Ohio University’s #1 ranked program. As a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, Katie is a proud double Bobcat. Outside of work, you can find Katie listening to Fleetwood Mac on vinyl or searching for the best Neapolitan-style pizza outside of Italy. The Pittsburgh native currently resides in Columbus, Ohio.


WILL EIDAM
Director, Partnership Analytics
Detroit Pistons
2022

Will Eidam is currently the Director of Partnership & Digital Marketing Analytics for the Detroit Pistons. Previously, he was Manager of Partnership Strategy for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will began working with the Thunder in the summer of 2017 as Partnership Activation Account Manager before transitioning to a strategy-based role within the Corporate Partnerships department.

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After obtaining his MBA from the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon (’16), he began his sports business career as Director of Sales, with Opendorse, a software company that connects marketers with athlete to build social media campaigns. Before attending the University of Oregon, he accumulated 10 years of sales experience with various companies such as the Alamo Drafthouse, Parkside Projects, and Omaha Steaks.

Will collaborated with brands such as Jack Daniel’s, State Farm, and Braum’s to help leverage their partnership with the Oklahoma City Thunder and continues to provide wide-ranging consulting services to all 70+ Thunder corporate partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing, from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.


SEAN O’HARA
VP, Partnerships

Elevate
2022

Sean O’Hara has over 20 years of sports marketing experience. In his role at ELEVATE, a 2023 Sports Business Journal Award Winner for Best in Property Consulting, Sales, and Client Services; Sean is responsible for cultivating marquee partnerships between brands and the most prestigious sports and entertainment properties across the globe. Sean will play a key role in the continual growth and architecture of Elevates Partnerships Division by overseeing business development team members, client relationships and delivery on partners’ goals and objectives.

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Prior to joining ELEVATE, Sean spent 5 years at Legends securing brands to partner with global sports and entertainment properties on naming rights, jersey partnerships and other premier marketing assets. Some of the deals that he spearheaded included Visit Las Vegas global partnership with the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar, an eight-figure presenting kit partner with Chervon (Flex Power Tools) for Los Angeles Football Club in 2021 and a 10-year naming rights with Lower.com for the Columbus Crew SC in 2021. Sean joined the newly launched Global Partnerships division in March of 2020 as Vice President of Global Partnerships and played an integral role in the developing the culture, integrating process, and creating a framework for success to work with other Legends divisions and specific partnership groups within client’s offices. While Legends continued to grow and expand, Sean also served as an executive leader on an employee resource group called BE (Black Equity) Collective to help recruit, mentor and develop people of color within Legends.

Sean’s entrance to Legends came in 2018, representing the Raiders and their historic move to bring the NFL to Las Vegas in 2020. He played a key role in selling naming rights for the stadium and securing 18 founding partners, which transformed the Raiders from the 32nd in the NFL to top 3 in corporate partnership revenue in the 40th largest market. Sean began his work in the NFL in 2013 with the Philadelphia Eagles in Corporate Partnerships Sales. This included selling the entitlement of a new tunnel club, 1st pro sports team on a NASCAR race car and the team’s 1st NEW founding partner in 5 years –Axalta Coating Systems. During his tenure, he was able to refine assigned partnerships with new assets and activation concepts to renew long-term deals as well as bring in additional new revenue through non-traditional categories such as pharmaceuticals.

Before joining the Eagles, Sean served as the Manager of Business Development for Fighting Illini Sports Properties (division of Learfield Sports) in Chicago and helped launch this new multi-media sports property at the University of Illinois. Sean also spent two years with the sales team at Intersport, where he managed an account services team in coordinating $10 million in sponsorship fulfillment. Sean earned his BA degree in Sport Administration from the University of North Carolina and his Master of Sports Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Ohio University. Sean is an avid runner/marathoner and continues to explore different races around the world. Sean is a passionate networker that enjoys giving back through guest speaking and mentoring young people trying to break into the sports industry. Originally from West Chester, PA, he currently resides in Westmont, NJ with his wife Kaitlyn, daughter Shelby and son Dempsey.


JARED KOZINN
Head of Sports Partnerships
Dansons | Pit Boss
2022

Jared is the Head of Sports Partnerships for Dansons | Pit Boss.  In this role, Jared is responsible for overseeing all sports marketing investment negotiations, including but not limited to sports franchises, media influencer marketing, agency evaluations.  Jared strategically leads a multi-tiered approach activating on league, team, player and brand assets through TV, radio and digital channels including collaborations with brands like Coca-Cola, Johnsonville, Smithfield and others. 

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Prior to this role, Jared served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate & Premium Partnerships. In this role, Jared was responsible for overseeing and leading all corporate partnership & premium sales, service and activation operations while developing and enhancing relationships with current and prospective Partners.

Jared spent 7 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, most recently as the Executive Director of Business Development & Premium Partnerships. In this role, Jared oversaw a year-round business development platform designed to aggressively serve three key revenue streams (Ticketing, Premium Seating & Partnerships). During his time with the Lions, Jared led the sales & service initiatives for the $100M+ renovation of Ford Field.

Before his time in Detroit, Jared served as the Director of Suite Sales for the Milwaukee Brewers and as the Manager, Ticket Sales & Services with the San Francisco 49ers, overseeing the transition of the 49ers fan base from Candlestick Park to Levi’s Stadium. Jared has also held various other business development roles for the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Blues. Jared began his career in professional sports as a Corporate Partnerships intern with the St. Louis Rams.

Jared grew up in Buffalo, NY and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before earning his J.D. and M.B.A. from Saint Louis University. Jared and his family reside in Scottsdale, Arizona.


BRIAN JEMISON
Sr. Director, Membership Services
Detroit Tigers
2023

Brian joined the Detroit Tigers in July 2021 and currently leads the Premium and Membership Services team where he works with our suite holders, club seat holders and 1901 Society Members to provide a first-class experience at Comerica Park 365 days a year. Brian and his team provide exclusive access to Member-only events throughout the year and are focused on creating lasting memories for all of our Members. He is responsible for implementing strategies to maintain our current clients year over year and continuing to grow our membership base.

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Brian began his career in professional sports and entertainment as an intern with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. From there he went to work for Palace Sports & Entertainment where he sold for the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Shock, and Detroit Fury. Throughout his career, Brian has worked for several other teams and organizations such as the New Jersey & Brooklyn Nets, Boston College Athletics, OUE Skyspace in Los Angeles and the Miami Marlins.

Brian graduated from Ohio Northern University with a degree in Sports Management and a minor in Business Administration. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and lives in the historic neighborhood in Detroit, Corktown, with his wife, Starr.


BRETT BAUR
Vice President, Partnership Sales & Marketing
Canucks Sports & Entertainment
2021

Brett is the Vice President, Corporate & Premium Partnership Sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates overseeing the B2B sales team for the organization. Brett and his team focus on building long-term relationships while developing integrated platforms for local, regional, and national companies to use the Pirates and PNC Park for marketing, entertainment, employee engagement, and community impact.

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Previously, Brett was a Vice President, Global Partnerships for Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), parent company of the NHL Capitals, NBA Wizards, WNBA Mystics, and 2K Wizards District Gaming teams. Brett was responsible for working collaboratively with brands to drive meaningful partnerships and measured success throughout the MSE ecosystem, which along with the teams mentioned also encompasses three entertainment venues, a regional OTT network, and Out-Of-Home opportunities.

Prior to MSE, Brett spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins which included back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. While on the partnership sales team, he helped translate the on-ice success to new official partnerships in non-traditional categories such as Commercial Construction, Education, Milkshakes, Realty, and Water Technology.

Brett is a proud alum of the Ohio University MBA/MSA dual program where he had his first NSF experience participating in the Case Cup competition in 2016.


ADAM NUSE
Chief Revenue Officer
Tennessee Titans
2023

Adam Nuse serves as the Chief Revenue Officer for the Tennessee Titans. A role he took on in April 2021 and hold responsibility for all day-to-day operations related to Nissan Stadium. From 2016-2021, Adam Nuse had served as the Sounds’ General Manager & Chief Operating Officer and oversees all day-to-day operations related to the ballclub.

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Under his guidance, the Sounds have broken numerous attendance records and were named the 2019 Triple-A winner of Baseball America’s Freitas Award. In 2018 and 2017, the Sounds garnered back-to-back Honorable Mention awards as Minor League Baseball’s Team of the Year by Ballpark Digest. Also in 2018, the City of Nashville and the Nashville Sounds were named the home of the best minor league baseball town in America by SmartAsset.

Nuse came to Music City from the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League, where he served as the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer since January 2014. The Texas native was previously with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League from 2004-2013, where he served in a variety of sales roles throughout his tenure and most recently served as Vice President of Sales beginning in 2009.

Nuse is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Nashville Sports Council, Bowling Green East Little League, and serves on the Nashville Sports Authority Women’s Professional Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma, a master’s degree in sports administration from Wichita State University, and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Western Kentucky University.

His family includes his wife, Sarah, three children: Lucy, Lola, and Hank, and their labradoodle named Seven.


VINCE PIERSON
CEO & Principal Strategist
VSP Solutions
2022

Vincent S. Pierson, CEO & Principal Strategist of VSP Diversity Solutions, is an award-winning Change Agent and diversity, equity and inclusion strategist with more than 10 years of experience. Operating at the intersection of sports, diversity & Inclusion and social justice, Vince is passionate about using the power of sports to move society and open hearts, eyes and minds of both sides of any equation.

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With a strong belief in sport’s unique ability to transcend difference and unite people, Vince focuses on intentionally harnessing that energy to address certain ills in our culture that need genuine attention and understanding.

Prior to launching his own diversity and inclusion consulting firm, Vince served in senior diversity and inclusion roles with Bloomberg LP and Minor League Baseball. 


DOUG HOLTZMAN
Senior Vice President, Sports
SportsDigita
2024

Doug is currently the Senior Vice President, Sports at Sportsdigita. In this role, he works with teams across the world (professional, minor league, college, etc.) and helps them with their presentations (sponsorships, tickets, hospitality, recruiting, free agency, draft, etc.). Sportsdigita has over 450+ clients.

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During his 20+ year career, Doug has focused on sponsorship sales. He has worked in the NBA (Houston Rockets), NFL (New Orleans Saints), MLB (Tampa Bay Rays), NCAA (IMG with Northern Illinois University and Air Force Academy) and the NBAG League (Rockford Lightning). He started on the sports agency side with CAA (formerly SMG). Throughout the years, Doug has sold over $100 million in sponsorship sales. Doug also has experience on the 3rd party side. He ran the sports division at Media Brokers International, a top 10 advertising company in the US. He also was the CEO at Ontrac Sports & Entertainment that focused on apps, AR, VR, wayfinding, and beacons in the sports world.

Doug earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas and his Master’s in Sport Management from Northern Illinois University. Holtzman comes from a huge sports family. His dad (Bob) pitched in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. His Uncle (Ken) pitched for 15 years in the Major Leagues (Cubs, A’s, Orioles and Yankees) and won 5 World Series while throwing 2 no hitters. He is married with two children and lives in Brookhaven, GA.


RISHI LAL
VP Global Partnership Development

BSE Global

2024

Rishi is currently serving as Vice President, Corporate Partnerships with BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Barclays Center and a number of other properties. Prior his role at BSE Global, he was the Director of Brand Partnerships at Canadian Hockey League (CHL) for the previous 8 years. He’s worked with some of the top brands in North America creating award winning partnerships. Prior to his time at the CHL, Rishi worked on the agency side providing strategic sponsorship counsel for renowned brands like Scotiabank and Tangerine Bank.

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Rishi earned his undergrad at York University and his Masters degree in Sports Administration at Ohio University.

He resides in Brooklyn, NY with his wife Amanda and two kids Ariya and Sawyer.


MARC TIMSON
EVP, Strategic Partnerships
MoZeus
2024

Marc joined MoZeus in 2013 and focuses on the creation of new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. His passion for live events and experiences spilled into his career in 2002 when he left the traditional agency world to help start an  experiential and event focused agency. Marc has extensive experience in all major sports leagues, festivals, trade shows, mobile tours, retail, digital and virtual activations . He has consulted with over 75 Fortune 500 brands in his career. 

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Outside of MoZeus, Marc serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Adaptive Golf Association. The AGA creates opportunities for individuals of all abilities to play golf. Marc has been instrumental in developing strategic partnerships that improve accessibility and awareness to the game and establishing sustainable community programs. Marc also serves on the National Sports Forum Steering Committee. In 2023, Marc won the prestigious Project Possible Award.

Marc and his wife Kim met at the University of Alabama where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and his MBA. They have two teenage daughters Kailey and Morgan that help keep life interesting.


TOM HOOF
2024

Tom Hoof has extensive sports and entertainment experience.  His career includes a decade in marketing at Walt Disney World including as the brand manager for the ESPN sports complex.  VP Marketing with the Tampa Bay Rays where he led the rebrand from the Devil Rays to the Rays.  He has also spent time in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes and the Ottawa Senators.  While with the Senators, his responsibilities include overseeing the team’s marketing strategy, including brand development, advertising, digital and social media, promotions, Business Intelligence, and in-game entertainment. Since his arrival with the Senators, the organization had steadily outperformed its targets in ticket sales, social media growth, and broadcast numbers. Including an 80% increase in attendance for the 2022/23 season. 

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The organization has also made headlines for marketing initiatives such as the Alex Trebek draft pick announcement of Tim Stützle and the first-ever Pride t-shirt bowl takeover. Tom currently runs a sports marketing consulting business in Phoenix called Skyway-1.  Clients have included teams in the AHL, Coca-Cola Col, and the Orix Buffalos of the Japanese baseball league.  Tom has three adult kids and lives in Phoenix with his wife Debbie. 


TONI WILL
General Manager
Kalamazoo Wings
2024

Will is Kalamazoo’s first female general manager, the first woman ever to be named to the ECHL Board of Governors and currently sits on the multiple ECHL executive committees. Under Will’s leadership, the K-Wings have seen attendance growth skyrocket for six consecutive seasons. In 2021-22, Will led the K-Wings to the No. 1 ranking in the ECHL in year-over-year attendance growth percentage.

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A lifelong resident of Southwest Michigan, Will graduated from Vicksburg High School and Western Michigan University. Will prides herself in not only being born and raised in the Kalamazoo area, but also in raising her family here as well.

Toni’s enjoyed multiple highlights and achievements since her arrival. Most notably, the “We Are Kalamazoo” game in 2016 and 2017 that helped raise over $100,000 for victims of two local tragedies, securing the 2019 Guinness World Record for ‘largest lightsaber battle’ on Star Wars Night, and ideating & executing professional hockey’s first ‘Rainbow Ice’ game. She also sits on the ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ committee and chairs the ‘Team Services’ committee for the ECHL.

Will’s passion for giving back to the community extends far beyond her efforts with the team. Currently, Will volunteers on the fundraising committee for the Southwest Michigan Miracle League, and serves on the Discover Kalamazoo Sports Advisory Council. She previously served on the boards for Trikats, Buy Local, Friends of Kalamazoo Recreation, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, the Kalamazoo Marathon, and Kalamazoo Strong.

Will enjoys family time, fitness and life-success coaching in her free time. Currently, Toni has completed over 60 triathlons, including two full Ironman competitions, over 20 half marathons and four full marathons.