JOE FURIN
GENERAL MANAGER
L.A. MEMORIAL COLISEUM & SPORTS ARENA
CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles
HOMETOWN: Rosemead, Calif.
UNIVERSITY: Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: PR intern for the L.A. Clippers.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: Right place, right time. I was the AGM here when the GM left.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T DOING THIS: Director of the CIA or FBI. I’d spend my whole day reading all the secret classified files like Area 51 and J. Edgar Hoover’s files.
MENTORS: My dad, Jack Furin; Joel Ralph and Peter Luukko.
WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD DO WHEN YOU WERE A KID: Play baseball or be a sports writer.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: Anything outdoors, with my family, away from crowds.
TOP SONG ON YOUR IPOD: “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I used to stage-dive at Oingo Boingo concerts.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT EVER ATTENDED: The 1977 World Series between the L.A. Dodgers and the N.Y. Yankees.
MONTY JONES, JR.
GENERAL MANAGER
HOOVER (ALA.) METROPOLITAN COMPLEX
HOMETOWN: Princeville, N.C.
UNIVERSITY: North Carolina State, Raleigh
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Director of operations, Carolina Cobras, Arena Football League.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: Relationships. Someone from Spectra I did business with hooked me up.
YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: Right now, it’s getting used to the dynamics of running an amateur sports complex vs. running a facility for professional sports and dealing with concert promoters.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T IN YOUR JOB: Teaching venue management.
MENTOR: Wilbur Christy. I did my first internship under Wilbur and we’ve been friends ever since.
TOP SONG ON YOUR IPOD: “Jazzebella” by Vintage Trouble.
MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR IPOD: “I'm a Gummybear” by Gummibär.
FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET: Martin Luther King, Jr.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I was born in Guam.
BEST ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED: Never settle and be complacent; always look to strive and do more.
IF YOU COULD HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Neck bones and rice. My mom made it when I was a kid.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT YOU'VE ATTENDED: Prince, Musicology Tour, 2004.
PREFERRED SUPER POWER: To fly.
REBECCA BOLTON
GENERAL MANAGER
DURHAM (N.C.) CONVENTION CENTER
HOMETOWN: Syracuse, N.Y.
UNIVERSITY: Florida State University, Tallahassee.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Event Manager, Harborview Convention Center, Clearwater, Fla.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: I was managing another Spectra venue when I learned about the opening in Durham. My mom and sister live here so I thought it sounded perfect. Luckily, Spectra Management agreed.
FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: The spontaneity of the business and the relationships. I love to see people having a good time.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T IN YOUR JOB: Architect.
MENTOR: My dad, Robert Bolton.
WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD DO WHEN YOU WERE A KID: A veterinarian.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: Yoga, skiing and shopping.
TOP SONG ON YOUR IPOD: Beyonce something.
MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR IPOD: Mostly unknown international music that I listen to when I do yoga.
FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET: Milton Friedman.
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: Live and let live. This reminds me of other people’s humanity.
IF YOU COULD HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE: White queso.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT YOU'VE ATTENDED: Roger Waters, The Wall Tour, 2011.