In 1994, Lynda Reinhart was a computer programming graduate student at the University of Florida looking for some part-time work. Friends working at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, the university’s multipurpose arena, advised her to apply for a position there, and soon after she had joined the O’Connell Center team.
The O’Connell Center is one of the largest student employers at Florida, providing valuable work experience to students whether or not they harbor venue-related career aspirations. Reinhart originally had no thoughts of pursuing a career in the industry, but after working as a stagehand for several shows during her first few months on the job, she found herself hooked on the thrilling atmosphere.
“Even working as a student part time, I could see that every time you come to work there’s something different, there’s something exciting, and you have this great chance to help make a lot of people happy,” Reinhart said. “You can really impact their lives. That hit me early on.”
Inspired by her part-time job, Reinhart shifted her academic path to the master’s program in recreational studies. At the O’Connell Center, she performed tasks as varied as answering phones, taking tickets, serving as an usher, working as a security guard and running the sound system for sporting events. From the start, Reinhart, a trained electrician, gravitated toward the technical side of managing a venue. “I’m a techie at heart,” she said.
“I like the knobs and buttons and I enjoy the backstage camaraderie,” Reinhart said. “That’s probably what most drew me to it is that it’s just fun being backstage. We’re working hard together to put the show on, but we’re also having a fun time and it’s always lighthearted.”
In addition to her technical know-how, Reinhart’s leadership skills quickly became apparent. She remembers early in her career when she was tapped to oversee the technical coordination of the Gator Growl, a large annual pep rally held during the week of the university’s homecoming. She didn’t believe she was close to qualified for the responsibility, but a supervisor told her, “You’re really good at getting people to do things that they don’t want to do.”
“That really stuck with me,” Reinhart said. “I was like, ‘Wow, he sees something in me.’”
Reinhart earned a full-time job as an event coordinator at the O’Connell Center in 1998 and was later promoted to assistant director and then associate director. She was named director of the facility in 2007 and remains in that position, overseeing the 10,500-seat arena and the wide range of events it hosts.
Lionel Dubay, former director of the O’Connell Center, served as a crucial mentor for Reinhart. He said one of Reinhart’s most prominent characteristics is her “genuine personality,” which inspires affection from those who work with her, including her staff, the university and Gainesville communities, and the larger venue industry.
He said Reinhart’s personal appeal is a key part of her leadership style. She leads by example and provides consistent support for her staff, and people consequently want to work hard for her.
“As she assumed more responsibility and leadership roles within the O’Connell Center and in her professional associations, she has become more self-confident and open to express herself,” Dubay said.
Reinhart says her drive to succeed in her career can partly be traced to her desire to set a good example for her children, Ashlyn and Ethan. “Balancing this career with mom duties has been a constant focus,” she said. Reinhart also credits the support she has received over the years from mentors such as Dubay as an integral part of her success, and she hopes “to pay it forward” and help others navigate the industry.
At Florida, in particular, she has embraced the teaching component of her work and the chance to boost the careers of others who are just getting started in the field.
“One of my most rewarding experiences is when I go to a conference and see somebody that used to work at the O’Connell Center as a student and started out the same way I did and now they’re doing something else in the industry,” Reinhart said. “That’s what it’s all about. Working at a university, that’s what we’re here for.”
Dubay said Reinhart was an excellent adviser for students and “the type of woman, mother and professional that young people can look up to and want to emulate.”
“What has impressed me the most about Lynda is that she hasn’t forgotten her roots,” Dubay said. “She has worked really hard to get where she is today, and it all started as a student employee at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. With all of her accomplishments, she has remained committed to mentoring and growing students.”
Reinhart also has demonstrated a sustained dedication to supporting and strengthening the venue industry at large. She has been an active member of IAVM since 1997 and is involved with the Country Music Association, International Entertainment Buyers’ Association, Florida Facility Managers Association, Alachua County Hospitality Council, Rotary Club of Gainesville and the Gainesville Sports Commission, frequently serving in leadership positions.
One of the most influential roles of her career was her eight-plus years with the IAVM’s Body of Knowledge Task Force, which developed a standardized facility management curriculum and college textbook — the first textbook to detail the principles and practices of public assembly facility management.
Frank Russo, executive vice president of business development and client relations at Spectra and a fellow member of the task force, said the group was packed with luminaries in the field, and Reinhart was the youngest in the group “by far.” However, he said, she “held her own day in and day out. She was definitely one of the most consistently valuable players on the task force.”
“She really knew her stuff,” he said. “She brought a very valuable perspective from an educator’s point of view and from a university building management point of view and represented that segment of our industry very well. She has a great sense of humor and is very loyal. She’s someone who I grew to really rely on as a friend and an adviser.”
Russo says Reinhart remains a rarity in the venue field for her steadfast presence at a single arena, rather than searching out other jobs in other locales. Reinhart says she simply loves her alma mater, and the O’Connell Center offers a satisfying mix of responsibilities in an enjoyable work climate.
The O’Connell Center is also the place where Reinhart learned to love the field, working hard backstage with her new colleagues while the crowd went crazy. She appreciates that she still gets to be a part of that.
“There are those moments when you’re standing on the sideline of an event and you pick up on the energy of the crowd,” Reinhart said. “I can remember special games or concerts where everybody is happy and excited and there’s a feeling that this is a moment that these thousands of people are going to remember forever. There’s been probably a dozen of those in my lifetime, and those are the moments that remind me why we do this and why this industry is so important.”
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