Ayrton has announced the appointment of Zane Cretten as regional sales manager, with responsibility for sales across Africa and the Middle East. Cretten brings 11 years experience and previously worked with major global brands including High End, Barco, Pandora’s Box, d3, CreateLED, Wings and Caliber.
Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced the creation of a new sales team. The new multicultural sales and development team includes Jason Dunn, VP; Tamara Whiting, director; Kariuki Epps, national manager and Alexis Thomas, coordinator.
Jimmy Earl, CFE, has been named senior associate athletics director of the Frank Erwin Center, Austin. In addition to his experience at the center, Earl was the manager of the Fort Worth/Tarrant County (Texas) Convention Center from 1987-1990. He is also a past president of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). He is a 1993 graduate of the Public Assembly Facility Management School at Oglebay, attained the Certified Facilities Executive (CFE) designation in 1995 and attended the Senior Executive Symposium at Cornell, Ithaca New West Conference, N.Y., in 1997.
Mike Elliott has joined Sound Space Vision (SSV) as a director. Elliott has been with the company since 2008 as project manager. He is currently leading the SSV team on the refurbishment of Fairfield Halls, Croydon, U.K., and a new space for Nevill Holt Opera, Market Harborough, U.K. Elliott studied theatre design at Nottingham Trent University, U.K., and also holds a Masters degree in theatre consultancy from the University of Warwick, U.K.
Oak View Group (OVG) has named veteran music industry journalist Andy Gensler as executive editor of its media & conferences division. He will be based out of OVG’s Los Angeles offices and report directly to Ray Waddell, the company’s president, media & conferences, with whom he will formulate and execute editorial strategy for the firm’s media holdings, which include Pollstar and Venues Today. Gensler previously worked as an editor and writer at Billboard.biz, where he's covered the music business. Previously, Gensler's varied career included working for the New York Times T-Style Magazine, VH1.com and Spin. He has written for many publications, including The Village Voice, Rolling Stone and the New York Times, among others.
Christopher Jeffery has been named an account administrator at New Day Underwriting Managers. Prior to New Day, Jeffrey served as an intern at McConkey & Co. Insurance & Benefits in York, Pa. He holds a bachelor of science in management from York College of Pennsylvania.
Grant Jones has returned to Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kan., as operations manager. Jones previously served as operations supervisor prior to accepting an opportunity with Wichita Sports Forum in late 2016. Jones will now manage and oversee the operations team with their daily duties and event changeovers. Sierra Franklin has been promoted to box office manager for Select-A-Seat. Prior to this, Franklin served as ticket specialist in the Select-A-Seat box office. Josh Hiatt and Tyler Maier were both promoted to operations supervisors within the operations department. Hiatt and Maier were previously members of the crew on a part time basis. In the operations department, Mario De La Torre has been hired as maintenance technician to assist with preventative maintenance and repairs to the arena’s equipment. Additionally, Jared Johnson has been hired as the payroll and purchasing accountant within the finance department. Johnson held a ticket specialist title in the Select-A-Seat box office.
Ontario (Calif.) Convention Center has announced the hiring of new GM Shannon Perry. Perry has 18 years of event planning and facility oversight experience with two national companies: Westwood One Radio Network and SMG Worldwide Venue Management. She has also served on the board of directors for Hampton’s Healthy Families Inc.
Atlanta’s Fox Theatre has hired Lucy Lawler-Freas as director of programming. Lawler-Freas has over 20 years of experience in booking talent and executing events. Previously, Lawler-Freas served as a talent buyer for House of Blues Concerts Club Network for three years and Concert/Southern Promotions (now Live Nation) for over four years, where she booked Music Midtown’s productions from 1998 to 2001. In 2004, she started Rival Entertainment, with her partner Josh Antenucci.
Ticket industry veteran Fred Maglione is leaving TopTix SeatGeek and re-launching his consulting practice. Maglione has over 40 years' experience working with various organizations in the live sports and entertainment business. In addition to TopTix, Maglione is the former CEO of Comcast Spectacor subsidiary New Era Tickets and FanOne Marketing, and held senior management roles, both domestically and internationally, with Tickets.com, Select Technologies, Globe Information Systems and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Boch Center, Boston, has appointed Jules Manning VP & managing director of booking. Previously, Manning managed programming and artist relations for the Madison Square Garden Company’s venues that include New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, The Theater at Madison Square Garden and Wang Theatre, Boston. Prior to working for the Madison Square Garden Company, Manning worked at Sony Music in both the College Marketing and Columbia Records Marketing Department.
After nearly 29 years at Comcast Spectacor, Ike Richman,
the company’s vice president, PR, is creating Ike Richman Communications to assist professional sports teams and owners, arenas and stadiums, concert promoters and family shows with generating PR content. Comcast Spectacor will become his first client.
The International Code Council (ICC) has named Kelly D. Sadler, J.D., as its new government relations regional manager for Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Previously, Sadler served as a lobbyist and government relations manager for the Texas Masonry Council and managed the office of employer initiatives for the Texas Workforce Commission. In addition, she served as a budget, planning and policy advisor to former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Additionally, Sadler worked as a briefing attorney to the Honorable Paul Green in the Fourth District Court of Appeals and authored civil and criminal appellate opinions for 32 Texas counties. Sadler graduated cum laude with a B.A. from the University of Texas, Austin. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
Delaware North, owner and operator of TD Garden, Boston, has hired Timothy Townsell
as GM of Massachusetts Sportservice at TD Garden, Delaware North’s food, beverage, and retail provider for the arena. Most recently, Townsell worked for Levy Restaurants where he served as the GM at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Townsell earned his bachelors of science degree in hotel administration from Cornell University, N.Y. Richard Teahan has been named as TD Garden’s director of security. Teahan, a 26-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most recently served an FBI supervisory special agent. Teahan earned his Master of military studies degree from U.S. Marine Corps War College, Quantico, Va., and his bachelor of science degree in government from Suffolk University, Boston.
The Erie County Agricultural Society (ECAS), sponsors of the Erie County Fair, Hamburg, N.Y., has named Jessica Underberg as its new chief executive officer and fair manager. Underberg has served as assistant fair manager since 2010.
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has announced that Josephine Vaccarello has been promoted to senior vice president, MSG Live, after serving most recently as vice president, concerts, family entertainment and ticketing, MSG Live. Vaccarello joined the company under Radio City Entertainment in 1998 and transitioned in 2000 to the position of coordinator, concerts and entertainment and has elevated in the department from manager to director to vice president. She is a graduate of State University New York, Albany, with a bachelor’s degree in communications.
BIRTHS
CARLSON — A girl, Lucy Bradley Carlson, born Oct. 10 in Los Angeles to Jennifer Young and Brad Carlson. Grandfather is Ken Young, founder of Ovations Food Services, which became Spectra Food and Hospitality, and owner of five minor league baseball teams.
PASSINGS
MERTON BARR — 81, employed for 35 years by Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Culver City, Calif., in Peoria, Ill., Sept. 11. Barr is survived by his wife of 61 years, L. Louise (Erdman) Barr; three children, David (Bernita) Barr of Alleman, Stephen (Beth) Barr of Webster Groves, MO, and Susan (Greg) Lynch of Clive; seven grandchildren, Jacob, Brandon, and Emily Barr, Madeline and Anna Barr, and Katelyn and Isabelle Lynch; brothers-in-law, Richard Dalbey and Wayne (Nancy) Erdman of Waukee; sister-in-law, Donna (Erdman) Adamson of West Des Moines; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Margaret Dalbey; and brother-in-law, Edward Adamson.