Frank Lapsley to North Charleston Coliseum
Frank Lapsley will take over as the new general manager of the North Charleston (S.C.) Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston for SMG. Lapsley will be transferring from his current position as the general manager of the SMG-managed Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord, N.C.—where he's worked for the past 10 years — in order to fill the opening at the coliseum.
Gary Desjardins to Consol Energy Center
Gary Desjardins has been appointed general manager of the AEG Facilities-managed Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. In Desjardins’ new role, he will be responsible for the management of all of the arena’s business operations, the creation of new events and the development of new revenue opportunities for the five-year-old, 20,000-seat sports and entertainment arena, which serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Prior to joining AEG Facilities, Desjardins spent 16 years serving as the general manager for Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena. Prior experience also includes serving as the general manager for the Kansas Expocentre, Wichita, and the Macon (Ga.) Centreplex.
Marla Calico New IAFE CEO
The International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) announced Marla Calico as the new president and CEO of the organization. Calico will take over the position on Jan.1, 2016, from outgoing president and CEO Jim Tucker. Calico joined the IAFE in 2006 as director of Education and has served as chief operating officer since 2014. Prior to joining the IAFE professional staff, she served as general manager of the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Mo. She earned her Certified Fair Executive designation in 1988 and in 2003 she served as chair of the IAFE. She was inducted into the IAFE Hall of Fame in 2012.