Michael Burgoyne is a new partner at Schuler Shook. Burgoyne joined the company in 2000 as a theater planner and he became a principal in 2011. He is a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem.
United Talent Agency (UTA) has promoted nine agents to partner status. Sarah Clossey, Steve Cohen, Gueran Ducoty, Joe Eshenbaugh, Charles Ferraro, Pete Franciosa, Allan Haldeman, Keya Khayatian, Tim Phillips and Jo Yao all join UTA’s 44 partners—representing a 20 percent expansion of the agency’s top ranks. Clossey, Cohen and Yao are agents in UTA’s motion picture talent department. Ducoty heads UTA’s licensing & endorsements department. Eshenbaugh is an agent in its comedy touring department. He will be based in Los Angeles. Ferraro and Khayatian are agents in UTA’s motion picture literary department. Franciosa heads UTA’s production department. Haldeman is an agent in UTA’s television department and Phillips is an agent in UTA’s television literary department. UTA has also hired Geoff “Geespin" Gamere as an agent. Gamere spent the last 16 years of his career at iHeartmedia.
Joe Cuello has been named the new GM at EscapeX. Cuello comes to EscapeX from Tunecore, where he served as chief creative officer. Prior to that he spent a decade at MTV Networks. Cuello is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, where he teaches entertainment management.
Ware Malcomb has promoted Jan Davis to director, commercial architecture in the firm’s Denver office. Davis joined Ware Malcomb’s Denver office as project manager in 2006 and was promoted to studio manager, commercial architecture, in 2007. She received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Colorado College, Colorado Springs and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Colorado, Denver.
Blitz|GES has promoted two of its senior team, Carol Gibbs and Mark Watson. Gibbs takes on the newly-created role of director of venues. Watson is the new creative director.
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the provider of venue management to Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis (Mo.) University, has promoted Jeremy Huelsing to GM of Chaifetz Arena. Huelsing most recently served as the venue’s AGM. Huelsing joined the Spectra team at the Chaifetz Arena during the inaugural season in 2008. In 2012 he moved to the Glens Falls (N.Y.) Civic Center as director of finance before taking over as the GM in 2013. He returned to Chaifetz Arena in 2015.
The Mendocino County Tourism Commission has appointed Alan Humason as executive director. Previously, Humason was executive director of Yolo County (Calif.) Visitors Bureau. He received his bachelor of arts degree in English literature from University of California, Santa Barbara, and undertook graduate studies in English literature and rhetoric at San Jose (Calif.) State University.
Dusty Kurtz is the new president of TicketsWest. Kurtz joined TicketsWest in 2006 as a project manager in the Denver office. He was promoted in 2008 to regional manager and in April 2011 he became the TicketsWest vice president and moved to the head office in Spokane, Wash. Prior to his positions with TicketsWest, Kurtz worked at Montana State University, Bozeman, and Brick Breeden Field House under Duane Morris.
Jack Lucas has stepped down as president of TicketsWest after 30 years at the helm. Lucas will continue to serve as president of West Coast Entertainment, a concert and Broadway promotion company serving the Pacific Northwest.
Mark Nerenhausen is the new CEO for Hennepin Theater Group, which runs the Orpheum Theatre, State Theatre and Pantages Theatre, all in Minneapolis. Nerenhausen is the founding director of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program at Syracuse (N.Y.) University. He previously served as president and CEO of AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, and he led the Performing Arts Authority, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from 1998-2009.
Former Durham (N.C.) Convention Center GM Jen Noble has taken the GM position at Mansion On Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. Noble transitioned into convention centers working for Spectra Venue Management at the Conference and Events Center, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and eventually became their AGM and director of sales and marketing. Noble is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.
Albany (N.Y.) Capital Center (ACC) continues to fill key positions; most recently hiring two event services managers, Jamie Parker and Anastasia Purritano. Parker joins ACC after a working at Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau and The College of Saint Rose, Albany. In addition to her position at ACC, Parker also serves as coordination assistant for Inspired Occasions. Parker graduated from Fitchburg (Mass.) State University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Media. Purritano began her career with BBL Hospitality at the Hilton Garden Inn at Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center. Purritano received her bachelor’s degree in sports, entertainment and event management in 2012 from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.
Joaquin Quesada has been named deputy director of the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center. Quesada started his career as an Anaheim Convention Center busboy. In 1997, Quesada was appointed Aramark general manager at the Anaheim Convention Center and continued his Aramark career in various district manager roles, overseeing venues in Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, Palm Springs and Las Vegas until 2016. Quesada succeeds David Meek, who retired from the Anaheim Convention Center in 2016.
Luc Robitaille has been named president of the L.A. Kings hockey club and will now oversee all hockey and business operations. Rob Blake has been named VP and GM for the Kings and will direct all day-to-day hockey operations for the organization. The announcement of both promotions was made by Dan Beckerman, president and CEO of AEG, the parent company of the LA Kings. In addition, Beckerman announced Dean Lombardi, who has served as Kings President and General Manager since 2006, and Darryl Sutter, who has served as the club’s Head Coach since 2011, have been relieved of their current duties.
Jim Wynkoop has been named GM of Atlantic City’s historic Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey for Spectra Venue Management. Previously, Wynkoop had been GM of Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis (Mo.) University. He joined the team at Chaifetz Arena in 2010 after serving Spectra as the director of facilities at the BankUnited Center on the Campus of the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla. Wynkopp also served in various capacities at the Whittemore Center Arena at University of New Hampshire, Durham, and he was part of the opening team at University of South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, Columbia. He began his venue career working at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y., serving as the parking manager, event services manager and director of operations. He replaces Fran Rodowicz, whom Spectra promoted to general manager of the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, N.J.