Sports Organizations
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Patrick McNerney has been named CEO of U.S. Rowing. He has more than 25 years of national and international experience in sports and is a long-time member of the rowing community. Most recently, he served as president of PKM & Associates (now Upside Advisors LLC), a sports consulting firm with a focus on digital media.

Rocky Harris has been named CEO of USA Triathlon. He most recently served as chief operating officer of the athletics department at Arizona State University, his alma mater. He also served as chief marketing officer and senior vice-president of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and AEG Global Partnerships.

Andrew Parsons has been elected president of the International Paralympic Committee. Having served as the IPC’s vice-president since 2013, Parsons is the third president in IPC history. He most recently served as president of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. He succeeds Philip Craven, who held the position for 16 years.

Anucha Browne, currently vice-president of women’s basketball championships at the NCAA, has been named chief strategy and engagement officer at UNICEF USA. She previously was the senior woman administrator and senior associate athletic director at the State University of New York at Buffalo and senior vice-president of marketing and business operations for the NBA’s New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden.

Jeff Jarnecke, director of championships and alliances at the NCAA since 2005, has been named deputy director of venues, parks and arts for the city of South Bend, Indiana.

Jonas “bsl” Alsaker Vikan has been appointed global tournament director of ESL Gaming, the world’s largest e-sports network. He is co-founder of the Counter-Strike team Meredia and founder of the Norwegian team NoA.

Hosts & Suppliers

Gina Mintzer has been named executive director of the Lake George (New York) Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau. Most recently, Mintzer served as the director of sales for the Albany County (New York) Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Ron King has been appointed general manager of Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center and Global Health Center for Innovation. King most recently served as executive director of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.

The National Association of Sports Commissions has launched a new educational initiative called the Sport Tourism Learning Institute (STLI) that will be delivered in a variety of formats. Courses will cover topics including event management, social and digital engagement, and sales training.

Sites & Venues

Capital One is the new naming rights partner for the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The arena has been renamed Capital One Arena, with the full branding shift to take effect this fall.

The United Soccer League has announced that it will return to Austin, Texas, for the 2019 season. A new soccer- specifi c venue at the Circuit of the Americas will serve as the club’s new home. Bobby Epstein, CEO of the Circuit of the Americas, will serve as majority owner of the team. USL has also announced that Las Vegas will be the third and fi nal USL expansion franchise to join the league for the 2018 season. Owned by Las Vegas resident Brett Lashbrook and his family, the new franchise will play at Cashman Field.

Philadelphia will host four of the five Army-Navy college football games from 2018–2022, with the Meadowlands in New Jersey claiming the fifth event. Philadelphia will host the annual event at Lincoln Financial Field from 2018– 2020 and again in 2022. The 2021 event will be staged at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Sponsors & Media

Longines has signed a long-term agreement with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) that makes the Swiss watch brand the title partner of the FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Harley-Davidson have signed a multiyear agreement in which Harley-Davidson’s logo will be featured on Bucks game jerseys beginning this season. The logo will also appear on the Bucks’ mobile app, social media channels and website.

The International Surfing Association has signed a television deal with global Eleven Sports. The broadcaster has acquired highlights to the ISA’s premier events in 2017 including the World Surfing Games in France, World Stand-Up Paddle and Paddleboard Championship in Denmark, World Junior Surfi ng Championship in Japan and the World Adaptive Surfi ng Championship in California.

In Memoriam…

Stephen Ducoff, the president and CEO of the Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES), passed away August 29. He was 72. Ducoff had been the head of ACES since the group’s founding in 2007. He also previously served as executive director of the Pikes Peak Lodging Association, president and CEO of the Billiard Congress of America and president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Sports Corp. Donations in his name can be made to the American Cancer Society.

Terry Kuca, who served as assistant general manager of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County (Florida) Convention Center for 25 years, passed away on September 1 at the age of 57. Prior to her time at the convention center, Kuca worked at the Niagara Falls Convention Bureau. A donation in her name can be made to Divine Mercy Parish or Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.

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Media Contact:
Timothy Schneider
310-954-2525
Northstar Travel Group, LLC

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