NBA Promotes Tatum And Behrens, Hire Two In Marketing Dept.

By John Lombardo & Terry Lefton, Staff Writers, SportsBusiness Journal

NBA Promotes Mark Tatum, Kathy Behrens

The NBA has promoted MARK TATUM to Exec VP/Marketing Partnerships while KATHY BEHRENS has been elevated to Exec VP/Social Responsibility & Player Programs. Tatum joined the the NBA in '99 and most recently was Senior VP/Marketing Partnerships. He reports to NBA President of Global Marketing Partnerships HEIDI UEBERROTH. Behrens, who joined the NBA in '00, previously was Senior VP/Community & Player Programs. Behrens reports to NBA President of League & Basketball Operations JOEL LITVIN. The NBA is also beefing up its team marketing department with two new hires. In the door as VP/Team Marketing & Business Operations is former MLB and NASCAR marketer JUSTIN JOHNSON. Johnson was most recently CMO of Indianapolis-based sports agency Just Marketing. Before that, he was Managing Dir of Partnership Marketing in NASCAR's N.Y. office. He worked in sponsorship sales at MLB for six years before joining NASCAR in October '03. Also new to the NBA's HQ roster is BRAD SIMS, who joins as Senior Dir of Team Marketing & Business Operations. For the last four years, Sims was Senior VP/Business Operations for Pennsylvania-based Opening Day Partners, where he managed the business operations of the independent Atlantic League Lancaster Barnstormers, York Revolution, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and Camden Riversharks. Before that, Sims ran group sales for the 76ers, Flyers and AHL Philadelphia Phantoms. Both Johnson and Sims report to NBA Senior VP/Team Marketing & Business Operations CHRIS GRANGER.