The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau has named Tom Albrecht senior National Sales manager. Most recently, he worked at Cobo Center in Detroit as director of Sales. DMCVB has also named David Dew Sr. national Sales manager. He had worked at the Meet Chicago Northwest Convention & Visitors Bureau in Villa Park., Ill.
Kimberly Appel has been named general manager of the SMG-managed facilities in Port Huron, Mich., which include McMorran Place Sports and Entertainment Center and the under-construction Blue Water Convention Center on the St. Clair River. She brings more than 15 years of experience in event and venue management to her new position. Most recently, Appel served as director of event services at the SMG-managed Century Center Convention Center in South Bend, Ind.
The Windish Agency has brought on four new agents. Ethan Berlin previously served as an agent for Red Ryder Entertainment. He will work in the company’s Chicago office. Holly Brennock will work with the company’s performing arts team in Boston. Previously, Brennock worked at International Music Network. Jay Moss, who most recently worked at Flowerbooking, will bring artists including Gold Panda and Star Slinger to Windish Agency. Erik Seltz founded Red Ryder Entertainment and has been working there for two decades. He will bring clients including Andrew Bird and The Magnetic Fields to Windish Agency.
Katie Calabrese has been named director of tradeshows & conferences for New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Previously, she served as VP, Events and Education at the Association of Private Sector Colleges & Universities in Washington.
With three new hires, Gensler has added more than 75 years of experience to the staff at its Dallas office. Byron Chambers, Jonathan Kelley and Jerry Fawcett have joined the architecture and design firm from HKS Sports in Dallas. Kelley has served as a project manager for more than 20 years, working on projects including Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Liverpool (England) FC Stadium. In his 41-year career, Fawcett has specialized in recreational and sports projects including the TCU Amon G. Carter Stadium redevelopment in Fort Worth, Texas. Chambers has focused on the design and programming of sports and entertainment venues with an emphasis on linking historical context and environmental sustainability into the architectural design.
Global Spectrum has promoted Stacey Church to general manager of MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. She has served as assistant GM of the 8,000-seat arena and 100,000-sq.-ft. convention center since 2013. Prior to her time in Springfield, Church served as the director of Finance at Century Center in South Bend, Ind., which was then managed by Global Spectrum. Former MassMutual Center GM Matt Hollander is relocating within Global Spectrum to the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Francesca Colussi has been appointed director, Security & Parking, at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario. Colussi has managed several large Canadian real estate portfolios, financial services and large-scale events. She previously served as venue Operations manager, main media centre and deputy manager, noncompetition venue security integrator for the VANOC 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.
Linda Edwards has been promoted to vice president and GM of Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. Edwards has been a longtime fair board executive. Most recently, she served as VP of Sales and Marketing, booking nearly 400 events each year.
Scott Galbraith has joined the new Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Orlando as VP of Programming. The new venue is scheduled to open in November. Galbraith most recently served as VP Programming at Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Conn., after eight years with the facility.
Gina Harper has been appointed director of Sales at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Calif. She brings more than 20 years of experience to her new position, including working as director of National Sales at Hornblower Cruises and Events.
Conference center network Convene has appointed James E. Higgins to the new post of vice president of Sales and Marketing. Prior to joining Convene, Higgins was vice president of global sales for Bridgestreet Global Hospitality.
ShoWare has hired four new professionals in various positions throughout the firm. Martin Iglesias has joined ShoWare as a web developer in the Argentinian office. He previously served as web developer and analyst at BP4. Heather Hutchinson will serve as the new Customer Service and Project manager. She comes from Fred Meyer where she worked as Customer Service manager. Sonny Kavoian joins ShoWare as senior network administrator, having previously specialized in larger facility management. Araceli Richardson has joined the company as front-end developer.
Comcast-Spectacor has named Blair Krebs as the company’s new vice president, Accounting and Corporate Controller. She will relocate to the company’s South Philadelphia offices. Krebs began her time at Comcast in Internal Audit, later working as director of Finance in Business Services. Prior to her time with the company, Krebs served as VP of Finance for Olive Media.
Global Spectrum has promoted JP Logia to building services manager at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Loggia first joined Global Spectrum as an intern in the Operations department at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., in 2010.
The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., have named Fred Mangione COO. Previously, Mangione served as Exec. VP, chief marketing officer and chief revenue officer for both the team and the venue. He has been with the facility since 2005, including the opening of Barclays Center and the team’s move to Brooklyn. Mike Zavodsky has been promoted to executive VP, Global Partnerships, for the Nets and Barclays Center. His position will also include direct oversight for the New York Islanders and the Nassau Coliseum. He has served as Sr. VP, Corporate Sponsorships for Barclays Center since 2012, having begun as an intern for CEO Brett Yormark in 2005. Also, Andrew Schwartz has been promoted to Sr. VP of Global Partnerships, and Mark Toffolo has been appointed VP of Global Partnerships.
The Agency Group has added talent agent Jeremy Norkin as director of Latin Operations. The newly-created position marks the opening of the company’s Miami office. Norkin previously worked at NTA, RLM, and WMA. Most recently, he founded Norkin Talent Agency. The Agency Group has also added Cheryl Paglierani to its New York office. She most recently worked at Creative Artists Agency, where she began in 2012 after years with William Morris Agency.
Zack Raubuck has been named event supervisor at the Owensboro (Ky.) Convention Center. He is a 2014 graduate of Indiana University where he earned a degree in Sports Marketing and Management. Previously, he served as an event director intern for Georgia State Games.
Juan Rodriguez, former Asst. GM at NRG Park in Houston, has been named general manager and Sr. VP Arena Operations for Sacramento (Calif.) Kings. He will provide leadership and oversee operations at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento before overseeing a successful transition to the new Entertainment and Sports Center, which will complete construction by October 2016. Also, Colin Twomey has joined the Kings as director of Business Strategy. He has worked at the National Basketball Association in the team Marketing and Business Operations Group.
Production Resource Group Nocturne, providing LED video and projection support, has launched in the United Kingdom with a team that includes Chief Sales Officer Rich Rowley, Account Director Stefaan Michaels, and Head of Video Services Mark O’Herlihy.
Sonoma (Calif.) State University has appointed Melissa Sanders to the newly-created position of Sr. director for Communications at the Green Music Center and for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 2008, where she led communications for all events at Atlanta Symphony Hall, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, and Chastain Park Amphitheater.
Industry veteran Ken Stockdell has joined HKS to lead the company’s new convention center sector. He brings nearly 30 years of experience to his new position. Stockdell has been involved in more than 30 convention center design commissions, including work on the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, McCormick Place’s South Hall expansion in Chicago.
Western Construction Group has promoted Mike Tripp to brand manager of the Western Waterproofing Company branch in Minneapolis, a member company of Western Construction Group.
Devon Whitaker has joined Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau as National Sales director. She brings more than a decade of hospitality industry experience to her new position. Whitaker most recently served as the National Sales manager for Destination DC.
Ticket Factory has appointed Kate Webb as Marketing director. Previously, Webb has worked at Codemasters, Vision Express and the Volvo Group. She is a graduate of Coventry University in England.
The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) has named Stacy Yerby small meetings manager in its sales department. Yerby joins the DMCVB from the Doubletree - Detroit/Dearborn where she acted as Sales and Catering manager for three years.
PASSINGS
Louis Herman “Red” Klotz — 93, coach, player and owner of American exhibition basketball team Washington Generals, July 12 at his home in Margate, N.J. Klotz spent more than 60 years with the Washington Generals, the traditional opponent to the Harlem Globetrotters. He scored the game winning shot in 1971 that ended a Globetrotters 2,495-game winning streak. Klotz once played as point guard on the 1948 iteration of the Baltimore Bullets, who won the championship for the Basketball Association of America, the league that would later become the NBA. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Gloria; sons Chuck, Glenn and Kenneth; daughters Ronee Groff, Kiki Smiley and Jody Ferrari; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
