Basketball
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EVANS
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Hoop It Up 3x3 Basketball named
Phil Evans, Evans Sports and Media Group president, a senior adviser.
The NBA hired former player and team executive Kiki VanDeWeghe as vice president of basketball operations.
The Oklahoma City Thunder hired Jason Ranne as director of strategic planning. Ranne was senior vice president of team sports for Wasserman Media Group.
Colleges
Kansas State University hired Clint Dowdle as assistant athletic director for administration. Dowdle was assistant athletic director for football at Bowling Green State University.
Miami (Ohio) University hired Mark Rountree as deputy athletic director. Rountree was senior associate athletic director for internal operations at Georgetown University.
The University of Minnesota hired Chris Werle as associate athletic director for strategic communications. Werle was vice president for global communications for Estee Lauder Cos.
Binghamton University hired Mike Cherry as associate athletic director for facilities and Events Center manager. Cherry was assistant director of operations and athletics facilities at East Carolina University.
Bowdoin College named Tim Ryan athletic director.
Iona College Athletic Director Eugene Marshall Jr. will step down, effective June 1.
The University of North Carolina hired Michelle Brown as director of its academic support program for student athletes. Brown was associate athletic director for academics and student services at Florida Atlantic University.
Tuskegee University Athletic Director Patrick Simon stepped down from the position.
Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington will step down but remain on the school’s executive staff as vice president of auxiliary services.
Dominican University of California named Brandon Leimbach athletic director. Leimbach was associate athletic director at the Colorado School of Mines.
The University of Tulsa named Derrick Gragg vice president and athletic director. Gragg was athletic director at Eastern Michigan University.
Northwest Missouri State University named Mel Tjeerdsma athletic director, effective in mid-April. Tjeerdsma was the school’s football coach from 1994 to 2010.
Centre College named Brad Fields athletic director. Fields was athletic director at Eastern University.
Facilities
Vail Resorts promoted Michael Barkin to chief financial officer.
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BECKETT
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Delaware North Cos. Boston promoted
Jason Beckett to vice president of operations for TD Garden.
Finance
True Capital Management named Kenneth Sorosky director for its new Los Angeles office and Temple Sewell client relations manager.
Football
The Washington Redskins hired Malcolm Blacken as director of player development. Blacken was director of speed, strength and conditioning at the University of Colorado.
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LOCKETT
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The
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl promoted
Hope Lockett to events supervisor.
The San Francisco 49ers promoted Jeff Ferguson to vice president of football operations.
Golf
Jana Smoley will resign as executive director of the PGA Tour’s Reno-Tahoe Open but will remain on the tournament’s board of directors.
Hockey
The Columbus Blue Jackets hired Evan Ashton, Ashley Smith and Sean Siebenkittel as corporate development account executives; Alison Pegg as Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation manager; Katie Massey as community relations and foundation coordinator; and Ryan Leitenberger as human resources assistant.
The New York Islanders promoted Mike Bossy to vice president of corporate sponsorship and partnership marketing.
Sunrise Sports & Entertainment promoted Elizabeth Jenkins to director of entertainment marketing for SSE and the BB&T Center.
Horse Racing
The American Horse Council hired R.J. Layher as director of health and regulatory affairs.
Keeneland director of communications Julie Balog will step down after the spring meeting to become vice president of marketing and communications for the YMCA of Central Kentucky.
Law
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, named Brent Nowicki legal counsel. Nowicki was a senior associate with Hodgson Russ.
Dickstein Shapiro named Shaun Crosner the leader of its Insurance Coverage Group’s sports practice.
Marketing
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BAILEY
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North American Sports Group hired
Rodgers Bailey as director of new business development for grassroots sports properties Hoop It Up, Let It Fly, Kick It Soccer, USA SportsFest and Sticks Up Lax.
Patrick Klinger launched sports marketing activation firm Patrick Klinger and Co. Klinger was formerly vice president of marketing for the Minnesota Twins.
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates promoted Rob Martin to chief marketing officer.
Engine Shop named Chris Handy chief business officer.
Relevent Sports hired Kwame Bryan as vice president of marketing. Bryan was vice president of marketing strategy and client services for the Washington Redskins.
Media
Cablevision Systems named Gregg Seibert vice chairman. Seibert will continue his role as chief financial officer.
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area hired Nancy Gay as digital managing editor for its digital media portfolio. Gay was a senior editor of NFL content for FoxSports.com.
Home Team Sports promoted Natalie Gibbons to senior manager of sponsor implementation.
Raycom Sports named Gary Blitzer sales director and Meg Little client services manager.
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BEAUVAIS
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The
Big Ten Network promoted
Kim Beauvais to vice president of human resources and business operations.
Dial Global hired Paul Caine as chief executive officer. Caine was executive vice present, chief revenue officer and group president of advertising for Time Inc.
Electronic Arts Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello stepped down.
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area promoted Jason Liu to local sales manager.
Fox Sports Media Group promoted Kai Dhaliwal to senior vice president of business and legal affairs.
Motorsports
Formula One team Mercedes Grand Prix CEO Nick Fry will step down. Executive Director Toto Wolff will take on day-to-day responsibilities alongside team principal Ross Brawn.
Multiteam Companies
Salvi Sports named Pete Laven president. Laven was general manager for the Class AA Texas League’s Arkansas Travelers.
Olympics
USA Hockey named Matt Herr a regional manager for USA Hockey’s American Development Model.
US Speedskating named Mike Plant interim president. He is expected to be confirmed as president in May. Plant is executive vice president for the Atlanta Braves.
Soccer
Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing hired Alyssa Chargar as licensing manager for consumer products; Dave Keevill as production and technology manager for MLS Digital; Tyler Larson as custom content manager for MLS Digital; Mark McClure as product manager for MLS Digital; Dan Meder as a staff accountant; Matt Folger as social media coordinator; and Kate Zuparko as director of digital marketing for MLS Digital.
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LOBRING
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The
Chicago Fire hired
Dan Lobring as senior director of communications. Lobring was senior director of public relations for rEvolution.
The Houston Dynamo named to its digital media team former London Times soccer reporter Tom Dart, CSN Houston anchor and reporter Sebastian Salazar and former Dallas Cowboys reporter Sara Eckert.
Chivas USA named former MLS player Juan Francisco Palencia director of soccer for the club and Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara.
Sporting Goods and Apparel
Easton-Bell Sports promoted Matt Arndt to executive vice president and general manager for hockey and Bob Diebold to vice president for baseball/softball and lacrosse sales. The company also named Mike Zlaket president for Easton Sports and Mark Kuryak senior vice president for global hockey sales. Chris Zimmerman, John Graham and Craig Ryan resigned from the company.
Skullcandy hired Hoby Darling as president and chief executive officer. Darling was general manager for Nike+ Digital Sport.
Sports Commissions and Tourism Boards
Will Webb was named executive director of the new Charlotte Sports Foundation. Also named to the group’s board of directors, in addition to Webb, were: Heather Ackerman, HA Events; Kendall Alley, Wells Fargo; Johnny Belk, Belk; Mike Crum, CRVA; David Darnell, Bank of America; Sheldon Francis, Babson Capital Management; Ken Haines, Raycom Sports; Ruffin Hall, city of Charlotte; Johnny Harris, Lincoln Harris; Harry Jones, Mecklenburg County government; Steve Luquire, Luquire George Andrews; Danny Morrison, Carolina Panthers; Jim Murphy, Davidson College; Tom Murray, CRVA; Jimmy Rayburn, Raycom Sports; Judy Rose, UNC Charlotte; Dave Singer, Snyder’s-Lance; Marcus Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway; Tom Skains, Piedmont Natural Gas; Keith Trent, Duke Energy; Chris Traeger, Bank of America; and Fred Whitfield, Charlotte Bobcats.
The Phoenix Regional Sports Commission named Katie Brown president and executive director.
Other
New York Road Runners and ING New York Marathon director of media relations and sports strategy Richard Finn has stepped down.
Awards and Boards
Indiana Sports Corp. named Scott Dorsey chairman of the board of directors, Cindy Simon-Skjodt vice chair-youth programming, Erik Johnson vice chair-external affairs, Scott Davison vice chair-program planning committee, Joe DeGroff immediate past chair and vice chair-board affairs committee, Tag Birge secretary, Ryan Kitchell assistant secretary, Cindy Lucchese treasurer and Jim Isch assistant treasurer. Named to the board of directors were Julie Carmichael, Karin Sarratt, Carolene Mays, Bill Smith and Mike Bosway.
Live Nation Entertainment named Greg Maffei, Liberty Media Corp. president and chief executive officer, non-executive chairman of the board.
The NASCAR Foundation named Lesa France Kennedy, International Speedway Corp. chief executive officer and NASCAR vice chairperson, and Glenn Ritchey, Jon Hall Automotive Group/Ritchey Autos Southeast Automotive Management president and chief executive officer, to its board of directors.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation named Rob Simmelkjaer, NBC Sports Ventures senior vice president, to its board of directors.
People news
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