By R.V. Baugus

It is with sadness that we share with IAVM members the passing of Donn Scott Mayne, brother of IAVM President and CEO Brad Mayne, CVE.

In a Facebook post shortly after his brother’s passing, Brad shared the following:

Thank you to the many individuals who have offered prayers and condolences over the past week. Scott and I were close, and he was loved by most. His family has met and discussed funny stories and wonderful experiences they had with Scott. It was great hearing their love for Scott. He will be missed by many, and I am grateful for his example and love.

Following is the obituary on Scott Mayne. We thank you for keeping the Mayne family in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

Donn Scott Mayne passed away peacefully on the morning of June 14, 2022. Born December 23, 1946, to Miles Donald Mayne and Beverly Edith Hansen Mayne in Salt Lake City. Utah. He was the first son born into the Mayne Family, with an older sister Teryl and 8 years later, a younger brother Brad. Scott grew up in SLC and attended Granite High School, graduating Class of 1965. Scott played sports most of his life, quarterback and catcher in high school. He received several offers for baseball Scholarships but decided on attending the University of Utah so that his parents could continue to support him. He played for the U of U until he graduated in 1969. He then went on to coach baseball and work in the Ticket Office at the U. He met his wife of nearly 53 years, Gloria Canning while attending the University of Utah, they married at Skaggs Memorial Chapel in July of 1969 and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

Scott played fastpitch softball for many years, and then coached his sons Ryan & Randy, and also his grandchildren. He has been involved in sports all his life; playing, coaching, and cheering for the Utah Utes, Utah Jazz or any baseball, football, hockey, volleyball or dance team one of his grandchildren were playing for. Scott coached his two sons in Little League, high school and competitive fastpitch winning back-to-back ’23 & Under’ National Titles in 1997 & 1998. He also coached his oldest grandson, JT, and many other young men he considers as ‘honorary grandsons’ on the Utah Nighthawks – This team built strong ‘Baseball Family’ bonds and finished in the Top 4 of the Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 2008. Scott also served as secretary on the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.

Scott worked in the Financial Services, Sales and Leasing Business for many years – Working with FMA Leasing, Patagonia Leasing, Commercial Funding, Larson Trucking and Loomis. He has lived in Salt Lake City, Mesa Arizona, Sandy, and South Jordan. He has served in countless LDS Church callings throughout the years from Cubmaster to Teacher to Young Men’s President to various Presidency & Bishopric counselor positions. Scott & Gloria served as Advisors to the youth at ARTEC for 33 months and with the South Jordan Youth Council for just over 3 years. He also served as Bishop of the River Ridge 8th Ward for 5 years before falling ill with liver disease at the end of 2008. Scott and Gloria spent 5 Months living in Indianapolis while waiting for a liver transplant that became available on Father’s Day, June 2014. Scott has a strong testimony of the gospel built on his years of service. The Savior came first in his life followed by Gloria and his family.

Scott loves his family:

Son, Ryan & Jen Mayne – JT & Morgan, Harper, Stevie Anne and soon to be born great grandson Cash; Harley & Daycen and soon to be born great granddaughter Swayze; Callie & Carson

Son, Randy & Christine Mayne – Jaden & Karley; Alex, Gracie, and Kale

Sister, Teryl & Gene Bonella – St George

Brother, Brad & Cheryl Mayne – Texas

And many Nieces, Nephews, and extended family

Funeral Services will be held at the River Ridge 8th Ward, 1409 W Shields Lane, South Jordan UT 84095. Viewing and Visitation, Monday, June 20 6-8 PM. Funeral Services, Tuesday, June 21, 11 AM, Viewing prior from 9-10:45 AM. Interment at the Midvale City Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at www.jenkins-soffe.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating on Scott’s behalf to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, USHOFF.org.

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in May 2022. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

Daria Aldridge, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Sean Allaster, Amalie Arena, Tarpon Springs, FL

Sofi Armenakian, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Ron Austin, VVA LLC Project & Cost Managers, New York, NY

Andrea Austin-Thomas, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Aaron Bailey, Arts and Venues Denver, Denver, CO

Lindsay Barker, Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Event Center (MPEC), Wichita Falls, TX

Fernando Barranca, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ

Caroline Beegan, Dayton Live, Dayton, OH

Chris Berg, Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee, WA

Rachel Bergen, Arts and Venues Denver, Denver, CO

Vanessa Berlingeri, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Kevin Brost, Kentucky Performing Arts, Louisville, KY

Danny Brown, Xenial, Charlotte, NC

Katina Brown, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Andy Burke, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Javier Carrion, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Alexandra Carver, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

John Castillo, AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

Arelis Castro, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Harry Centa, PartnerShip LLC, Oberlin, OH

Keith Chisolm, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX

Dan Crew, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Antonio Cruz, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC

Catherine Curtin, Comprise Technologies, Navesink, NJ

Ashley De Souza, Laura Metaal Road Safety, Toronto, ON, Canada

Benjamin DeJohn, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

James Doolittle, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Kevin Eastman, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Kendra Elder, Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, TX

Kevin Eshleman, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Melissa Figueroa, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Gary Firlit, Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, NY

Christina Fitzgerald, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

Robert Friend, Activity Stream, Madison, CT

Justin Funke, DDS, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Pedro Galvez, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, FL

Melanie Garcia, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Emily Gardner, University of Kentucky – Department of Arts Administration, Lexington, KY

Gina Gemberling, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Lori Gittus, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

James Gregoire, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Aaron Harvey, Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee, WA

Jesse Heilman, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Cindy Herdt, Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee, WA

Mariela Hernandez, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Dani Higham, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

Brett Hodgson, Los Angeles Auto Show, Los Angeles, CA

Lee Holland, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Mackenzie Huber, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Mark Kahn, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Kitty Lane, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Melissa Lattin, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Abigayle Lee, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

Alex Legg, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

John Luton, Columbia County Performing Arts Center, Evans, GA

Haley Lynn, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Nadia Maimon, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Rylee Maner, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

Nargis Martin, Yellow Dog Software, Norfolk, VA

McKenzie Masten, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Shandreka Matthews, FedExForum, Memphis, TN

Chris May, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Meghan McDonald, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

Jackie McMahon, Kansas City Chiefs Football Club Inc., Kansas City, MO

Frances Meléndez, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Brandon Miller, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Audrey Minch, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Edward Miranda, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Jessica Nelson, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Trent North, Legacy Arena, Douglasville, GA

Aaron Olson, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Patrick Orndorff, Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP, Fayetteville, AR

Taylor Oswalt, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Jahaziel Pagan, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Christopher Parker, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Shannon Pasco, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

Kara Powell, University of Kentucky – Department of Arts Administration, Lexington, KY

Angelo Powell-Sharp, Arts and Venues Denver, Denver, CO

Kevin Price, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Evan Raleigh, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC

Carlos Rivera, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, PR

Cheri Robert, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Diana Rojas, 24/7 Software, Boca Raton, FL

Carlos Rosario, FTX Arena, Miami, FL

Elizabeth Rush, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Jeremy Russell, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Mary Russell, Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, TX

Derek Schesnuk, City of Medicine Hat, Medicine Hat, AB, Canada

Michael Schwartz, Xenial, Charlotte, NC

Jeremy Shubrook, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, FL

Nikki Simmons, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Rashard Smith, AT&T Center, Converse, TX

Clay Stockton, Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Event Center (MPEC), Wichita Falls, TX

Christina Such, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Richard Tamayo, M & T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Devin Taylor, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA

Megan Tharp, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Jouline Trotic, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Joy Truly Brown, Orpheum Theatre Group, Memphis, TN

Carrie Tsosie, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ

Matthew Uchtman, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Keisha Ussery, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

Morgan Wanamaker, Gas South District, Duluth, GA

Benhard Wandugu, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

Sharise Washington, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Kit Westerman, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX

Kelly Williams, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

Harrison Williams, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Little Rock, AR

Harrison Williams, Washington County Expo, Brenham, TX

Blake Woods, Hot Springs Convention Center & Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs, AR

Voting will open Wednesday, June 15, 2022 and remain so through July 9, 2022. The complete slate including biographical information and photos can be viewed on the IAVM web site.  Our voting process has changed, with the introduction of a new nomination/application process for sector directors.  The ballot you will see this year will only include the Second Vice Chair election, and if you identified as a allied, arena, or university sector you will find the election for Director – Allied, Director – Arenas, or Director – Universities.  At most, you will be voting for two incoming positions on the 2022 – 2023 Board of Directors.

As you know, each regions’ members elect their slate of officers (to include Region Director) and does not require a ballot for the entire IAVM membership’s approval.

All voting members should receive an email titled “2022-2023 IAVM Board of Directors Election-login information below”. The email contains a generated user name and password to use when logging in to submit votes.  If you haven’t received the email by 12 PM CT on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, please contact Rosanne Duke via email or by calling 972.538.1025.

As in the past, the ballot is available through Survey & Ballot Systems allowing complete confidentiality and security to our members.  The results of the voting will be posted following the closing of the ballot on July 9. 

By R.V. Baugus

His public assembly venue background spans working in stadiums, arenas, and convention centers, but it is the latter for which Robert Rose, CVE, will be recognized at VenueConnect in Phoenix when he receives the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award. The retired IAVM member is most recognized with the Tampa Convention Center where he retired after 22 years with myriad titles including Event Operations Manager/Chief Operating Officer/Convention Facilities Director.

“Jim Finch called me and told me about the award and I said, ‘What!'” Rose recalled. “I can’t believe it and the next thought was, ‘Are you kidding me?'”

That answer would be a resounding no for a respected industry professional who dedicated so much of his career for the good of the profession as well as the convention center sector.

“I know the people that have been blessed to have the award over the years,” Rose said. “I was flabbergasted because I know all of the committee work, board work, and regional work and all those things that they’ve done in their career and running the buildings.”

Indeed, Rose is intimate in knowing what it takes to receive such a prestigious honor. He previously served on the committee that identified candidates to receive the award.

“We had a great group of people that were helping with trying to find the best possible candidates,” he said. “There were some extremely qualified people that were being considered and we were so blessed to over time be able to fit almost everybody in to receive the award. It’s a wonderful award for anyone to be recognized in that manner.”

Rose noted the irony that last year’s recipient, Barry Strafacci, is also synonomous with the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

“Barry has helped me in so many ways,” Rose said. “He is actually in the same county in which I live. He has been on a number of the (IAVM) committees and when I saw he had gotten the award I was so thankful. He’s really worked so hard for the association.”

The same is true of Rose, who became an IAVM member in 1978. He has participated on numerous committees including Convention Center, Research, Benchmark Advisory, and Membership. He has also chaired the Region 5 Officers and earned his Certified Venue Executive designation in 2004.

“I had to learn from scratch because I came from a parks and recreation background in 1978 and had an assistant at that facility in Allen Park, Michigan, who said I needed to be involved with (then) IAAM,” Rose said. “It was a brand-new job and they had never had anybody who had run their facilities. It was a civic arena that was an ice arena, primarily, but we did special events and that’s where I was learning about that part of the business and what to do with them.”

From there, Rose went to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he learned from one of the very best in Lionel Dubay during his five-year stay.

“One of my favorite things about Lionel is he wants you to grow,” Rose said. “He loves to have his interns and all of his staff learn about the business. He’s very generous that way and taught me so much.”

With Florida roots planted, Rose headed south to work at the Florida Suncoast Dome/ThunderDome/Tropicana Field, then Director of Event Services & Bookings with the MLB Tampa Bay Rays before setting sail on a long and distinguished career at the Tampa Convention Center.

“Early on, even in the late 70’s and then probably my first conference in the early 80’s, people made me feel so welcome,” Rose said. “It was my first conference and here I am talking to people running the association … a young kid and didn’t know much of anything at that point and talking to the president of the association about the business and the characteristics we should have to honor the industry and do the right thing.

“Those are the kinds of moments you have to have to really help you to look back and say I’m so glad I did all these things and learned from all these people. Receiving this award is definitely a humbling experience because I don’t know that I feel that I have had enough of a career to even receive such an honor. But I’m very blessed someone must have felt that I was definitely someone they wanted to recognize which makes me feel wonderful.”

By Kristin Coffman

Jeffrey Mann has been hired to fill a new chief operating officer role at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, AR. In this position, Mann will directly oversee all facility operations, marketing, and public relations of both Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP and guide Walton Arts Center’s programming and education initiatives.

“With continued growth in programming of both Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP, we realized the need to have someone focused on the overall maintenance of day-to-day operations of our venues,” said Peter B. Lane, president and chief executive officer of Walton Arts Center. Lane will continue to oversee fundraising, new business initiatives, strategic planning, and organizational health of Walton Arts Center.

Mann brings to the role deep experience with sports and entertainment venues, as both an operator and a promoter. Most recently Mann was vice president of Nashville-based Outback Presents, an independent promoter of live events. Mann also spent five years with Live Nation as a general manager of Xfinity Center and Orpheum Theater in Boston. Before that he was COO of the International Association of Venue Managers. He is a Certified Venue Executive through IAVM.

“I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities that come with this position,” Mann said. “Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP are important cultural institutions in this region with strong reputations and I want to build upon that tradition of top-notch services and programming.”

Mann will step into the new role on July 1.

Kristin Coffman is Director of Human Resources and Institutional Culture for Walton Arts Center & Walmart AMP.