By R.V. Baugus
The Women in Leadership panel session at VenueConnect is always one of the top-attended and most anticipated, and this year will be no different in Atlanta when the session takes place on Wednesday, August 5.
Before taking their seats on the panel, Stacey A. Hall, PhD, Executive Director, National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4), Professor of Sport Management, College of Business and Economic Development, at The University of Southern Mississippi, and Celise Kalke, Managing Director of Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, shared about themselves and what they look forward to at the session.
Please share briefly about your role as a woman in leadership with your organization.
STACEY HALL: The NCS4 is the nation’s only academic center devoted to the study and practice of spectator 
sports safety and security. As Executive Director, I oversee a dedicated team of staff responsible for accomplishing our mission of supporting the sport and entertainment industries through innovative research, training, and outreach programs. We work closely with diverse organizations and subject matter experts to better understand the threat environment, identify vulnerabilities, communicate risk-mitigation techniques, and close capability gaps.
We have long-standing training partnerships with DHS/FEMA and INTERPOL and offer professional development/certification options. The center focuses on applied research that is meaningful and impactful to industry decision-makers. We maintain an extensive repository of best practices and provide networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities through an annual conference, forums, and webinars. We engage with solutions providers through our technology alliance group and have the capabilities to test technologies through product reviews and operational exercises to educate stakeholders on market options.
I invest a lot of time connecting with academic partners, industry associations, and government agencies to ensure collaboration and the limitation of duplicated efforts in the field. We can all come together to develop and distribute the best resources possible for professionals responsible for the operations and management of venues and the safety and security of patrons.
CELISE KALKE: I served as the Managing Director of Synchronicity Theatre, a professional theatre in Atlanta whose mission is uplifting the voices of women and girls. I am a co-leader with our Producing Artistic Director Rachel May.
Identify some of your philosophies as you lead others.
STACEY HALL:
· Characteristics that I think are important include honesty, transparency, integrity, respect, humility, and empathy.
· Empower others
· Praise – give credit when credit is due (and publicly when possible)
· Clearly communicate your vision
· Be approachable and serve with your heart – I am here to help others achieve their career goals and grow personally and professionally
· Create an organizational culture and climate where no one feels scared to share thoughts/opinions/perspectives. The success of an organization is not because of one person but the work of many individuals! Celebrate the ‘WE,’ not ‘ME.’
CELISE KALKE: At Synchronicity we practice collaborative leadership, believing that our staff works best within an empowered environment with an emphasize on collaboration and transparency.
What do you see for the future generation of women leaders as far as what it takes to “get there”?
STACEY HALL:
· Mentorship and networking are critical. More resources/training is available specifically for women interested in pursuing leadership roles. More women in the field are qualified and eligible to lead and manage – opening more doors.
· Organizations also realize the importance of DEI initiatives, making them stronger/successful when their staff reflects the consumer population.
· Women should advocate for themselves and don’t be afraid to ask for what they want or need. Share career goals with others and map out a pathway to achieve identified career goals (women in leadership roles should seek to help other women in the industry when appropriate).
CELISE KALKE: Nimbleness, confidence, humility and assertiveness.
