Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors, plays a pivotal role with the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing. Since becoming part owner of the small bass fishing organization in 1982, Evans has grown FLW Outdoors to currently produce 240 fishing tournaments per year with more than $40 million in prize money. FLW Outdoors is the largest tournament fishing organization in the world. Evans also co-hosts the "FLW Outdoors" TV show on Fox Sports Net (seen by more people than any other fishing show on earth).

 

Alicia McConnell was named as the U.S. Olympic Committee's Director of Athlete Services and Programs in March 2005. McConnell oversees numerous Olympic training sites as well as the Community Olympic Development Programs. A tremendous athlete in her own right, McConnell has participated in five World Championships and holds 21 national titles. McConnell is an inductee into the United State Squash Racquets Association, the Intercollegiate Squash and the University of Pennsylvania Halls of Fame.

 

As the founder and owner of the EVP Pro Volleyball tour, Ross has more than 16 years of experience in open beach volleyball tournaments. The EVP sponsors professional volleyball players and produces top-quality volleyball events across the country. The EVP includes a network of volleyball professionals executing regional and City vs. City events.

 

Donald Reudlinger is the founder of Youth Basketball of America (YBOA). Since it was established 19 years ago, YBOA has spread the spirit of basketball and sportsmanship, growing from 5,000 youngsters to more than 300,000 basketball players across the United States and in 23 countries throughout the world. His many positions in sports and community leadership include: AAU Junior Olympics Boys Basketball Advisor; Metro St. Louis YMCA Board Member; Red Cross Swimming & Life Saving Program Counselor and Mid-Florida Pop Warner Youth Football Commissioner and Coach.

 

Don Schumacher has more than 35 years experience in the field of communications, family entertainment, theme park marketing and operations, arena and stadium marketing and operations, event management, sports marketing and facilities consultation. A few names included in Don’s experience are Hanna Barbera Productions, College Football Hall of Fame and Galbreath Field, Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum, Greater Cincinnati Sports and Events Commission, and many others.

 

Wanda L. Rutledge, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of Alumni Relations for New Jersey City University in Jersey City, N.J., a position she has held since 2002. Wanda has more than 28 years of experience as a senior non-profit sports management executive, adept at program development, planning, fund raising, contract negotiations, communications, public relations, and problem solving.

 

Dean Reinke, an eight-time NCAA finalist in track and cross-country, was involved in many of the country's top running events before spreading his wings into a variety of areas with a client list that includes Team Championships and its Hoop-it-Up 3on3 Basketball, Kick-It 3v3 Soccer and Let-it-Fly Flag Football brands among many more. At S.P.O.R.T.S., Reinke will share his expertise and knowledge gained from putting together corporate partnership programs with a variety of clients, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Champs, Chrysler, Nestle's, Pfizer, Nissan, Bank of America, Mitsubishi, Powerade, Reebok, Shell/Texaco, Mead, PowerBar, Clear Channel, Infinity, Cox and Emmis, among many others.

 

 

JAMES PARKER, Director of Sports, Amateur Athletic Union
James Parker, director of sports for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), oversees the various AAU youth and adult sports, which encompasses 35 sports programs, 250 national championships and more than 30,000 age division events. Parker has been with the AAU for more than seven years as sport manager for boys and men’s basketball, trampoline and tumbling and has assisted with the Girls ‘N Sports event. Prior to his work with the AAU, Mr. Parker was affiliated in various capacities with organizations such as the International Basketball League, Orlando Magic of the NBA, and Old Dominion University.

 

LORI THOMAS, Vice President for Championships, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
Lori Thomas, vice president for championships for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), oversees sports information and championships encompassing 23 national championships, four championship sport managers, emerging sports, site selection and contracts for championship hosts, championship merchandising and apparel, and budgets for coaches associations, councils and committees. She serves as the liaison to the NAIA – National Administrative Council and a conference liaison to three conferences.