Learfield Sports has acquired Indianapolis-based Strategic Marketing Affiliates, a collegiate licensing business founded by BOB BERNARD in '97. Learfield will combine the licensing business from SMA with Licensing Resource Group, another collegiate licensing business that Learfield acquired earlier this year. LRG CEO LEWIS HARDY will become Chair of the combined companies, and Bernard will serve as CEO. Both will report to Learfield COO MARC JENKINS (Michael Smith, Staff Writer).
MINOR DETAIL: MiLB’s Baseball Internet Rights Company (BIRCO) named Double-A Eastern League Akron RubberDucks Owner & CEO KEN BABBY Chair of its 10-member BOD. Babby succeeds ART MATIN, who served in the role the last four seasons (MiLB). Babby’s “experience with Internet rights and media advertising” comes from his time at the Washington Post, where he held the roles of Washington Post Media Chief Revenue Officer and Washington Post Digital GM (BALLPARKDIGEST.com, 12/4).
EXECS: The Braves named former Padres VP & Assistant GM/Player Personnel CHAD MACDONALD Special Assistant to the GM (AJC.com, 12/4)....College of Charleston named Arizona State Univ. Dir of Major Gifts for the Sun Devil Club T.J. ISAACS Associate AD/Development & External Affairs (CofC)....The Triple-A Int’l League Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders named FELICIA ADAMUS Dir of Ticket Operations, AMANDA LANCE Inside Sales Rep, BARRY SNYDER Dir of Marketing & Promotions and JOSH DILTS Corporate Partnerships Exec. The team also named MORGAN ANDREAS, MIKE HARVEY and MATT LAFRENNIE Regional Group Sales Managers. Meanwhile, Community Relations Manager RACHEL MARK was promoted to Dir of Community Relations (RailRiders)....The Canadian Olympic Committee named Gold medal-winning moguls skier JEAN-LUC BRASSARD Chef de Mission for the ’16 Rio Games (REUTERS, 12/4).
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