From Stadium Business

Italian Serie A football team Napoli is considering naming its stadium after club legend Diego Maradona, who died Wednesday, November 25, at the age of 60.

That night, the lights remained on at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo in tribute to Maradona as Naples mourned the man that delivered the club two Serie A titles during a memorable seven-year spell from 1984 to 1991.

Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris tweeted yesterday that the San Paolo should be renamed after Maradona, who also led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in 1986. The move would require an exemption to a law that states a street or building can only be renamed after someone after 10 years have passed since their death.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentis has said that the renaming of the stadium will be considered. Posting on her Facebook page yesterday, Laura Bismuto, president of the Toponomy Commission of the Naples City Council, said that steps are being taken to carry out the name change.

Bismuto said: “As president of the Toponymy Commission, I have the pleasure and honour to announce to the city that, in consultation with the mayor and the councillor for Toponymy Alessandra Clemente, having heard the case for the derogation from the 10-year rule, we decided to name the stadium of the city of Naples after Diego Armando Maradona.”

Bismuto added that a commission will be called on Monday to formalise the proposal.

Stadio San Paolo opened in 1959 and has a current capacity of 54,000. The stadium was one of the host venues during the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and staged the semi-final between the host nation and Maradona’s Argentina.

Maradona died following a heart attack, having undergone brain surgery earlier this month. Although the surgery was successful, Maradona was reportedly suffering due to withdrawal from his alcohol addiction.

Argentina President Alberto Fernández has declared three days of national mourning following Maradona’s passing, while wreaths and candles were placed outside the San Paolo yesterday as fans paid tribute.

It is with saddened hearts to announce the passing of Gunnery Sergeant Henry Bruce Thomas, USMC, Retired, 85, of Katy, Texas on Friday, November 20, 2020 at the Richard A. Anderson Veterans Home in Houston, Texas. He had been a patient there for one week. Henry was born on August 15, 1935 in Whigham, Georgia to William McKinley Thomas and Ethlene Trulock Thomas.

Henry proudly served his country as a United States Marine, serving in the Vietnam War, and retiring in 1971 at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. He then had a long and distinguished career at the Summit/Compaq Center as Operations Manager, until his retirement in 2000. After retirement, he and Connie spent many years traveling and seeing the country in their RV. He was an active member of the Katy V.F.W. Post 9182, the American Legion Post 164, the Semper Fi Society of Brazos Valley and the Marine Corps League of Katy, Texas.

Henry’s vibrant personality, endless work ethic and caring heart led to a remarkable life and he will be missed deeply by family and friends. Henry was of the Southern Baptist faith and attended First Baptist Church of Katy.

Henry was a loving husband for 58 years to Connie Evans Thomas; a devoted father to one daughter, Rachel Thompson Mikula of Katy, Texas and two sons, Barry Thomas (Veronica) of Humble, Texas and Todd Thomas (Marla) of Keller, Texas. He was also “Pawpaw” to four grandsons, Austin Thompson, Tyler Thompson, Bryan Thompson (Anna) and Luke Thomas; and three granddaughters, Candace Thomas, Trinity Thomas and Simone Shaw. Henry is also survived by three sisters, Ima Jean Fussell, Rachel Tilley and Ola Mae Grubbs; six brothers, Douglas Thomas, Dale Thomas (Donna), A.J. Thomas (Mary), Jackie Thomas (Jo), William Thomas (Janice), and Lee Thomas (Lori); and a large number of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews who he loved dearly.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents and four sisters, Hazel Bodiford, Madelyn Smith, Patsy Jo Ezell and Georgia Faye Kirby. He was also preceded in death by one grandson, Garrett Jenkins.

A graveside service with full military honors presented by the honor guard of Katy V.F.W. Post 9182 will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020 at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, 77038, with Chaplain Jeb Strickland officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to the Katy V.F.W. Post 9182, P.O. Box 37, Katy Texas 77492 or to the Katy American Legion Post 164, P.O. Box 1171, Katy Texas 77492.

Jacqueline Kelsch is Director of Event Services at College Park Center and Texas Hall, part of The University of Texas at Arlington and is proud to be a member of IAVM’s 30Under30 Class of 2020.  She has amassed a wealth of knowledge in her short professional career, overseeing everything from banquets and trade shows to professional and collegiate sports and world renowned rodeos.  Getting her through many interesting and challenging times has been her credo – ‘If nothings on fire and no one has died, we can recover!’

“In a time when so much news was coming in and none of it good, to receive such great news of being a 30|Under|30 recipient really reinvigorated my drive and reminded me of why I love what I do.”

Join your Foundation in congratulating Jacqueline on being honored as one of the 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 and don’t forget to come back each Thursday as we spotlight another honoree!

JustOne Campaign: We are extending the JustOne Campaign to March 31, 2021.

The annual recruitment campaign gives IAVM’s volunteer leaders the opportunity to recruit one new member. Who makes up the IAVM Leadership? The IAVM Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Trustees, Regents, Governors, Committees and Task Forces spread the word about the value of IAVM membership.

Last year’s JustOne campaign ended on December 31, 2019 and resulted in 95 new members. Your leadership and commitment to IAVM’s growth is evident in the results!

GOAL: We have 298 individuals involved in IAVM’s governance. If all volunteers recruit just one new member, your efforts will give us 100% participation by our leadership in 2020-2021, potentially adding another 298 new members.

Why is this important? In these challenging times, our collective voices make a difference with our advocacy efforts. Also, IAVM’s governance is also working hard to identify the next round of leaders that will propel IAVM into the future, but more importantly, provide you with expanded connections to give you more vibrant experiences and discussions at our schools and conferences, face-to-face and virtually.

REWARD: The Board, Committee, Council, Task Force, Region and individual that refers the most members will be recognized at VC21 in Atlanta, Georgia.

To receive credit for your new member, ask your referral to complete these fields in the online membership application*:

• How did you hear about IAVM – Enter “JustOne” and the committee you want to receive credit; important if you serve on multiple committees
  • Example: JustOne, Membership Committee
• If a person referred you, provide name:
  • Example: Stacey Church, Membership Committee

*The new member will save the one-time initiation fee of $150 if they enter ‘JustOne’ in the promotion code field of the Professional or Allied Membership Applications. This promotion applies to new members only

Questions, contact Member Services at membership@iavm.org; or email either of us at: Gina Brydson, Summer Beday or Robin Covington.

By ISSA and R.V. Baugus

More than 100 new facilities have achieved the gold standard for prepared facilities: GBAC STAR facility accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council; (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. A number of IAVM member venues are new to the list, which are now recognized for their achievement of the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities.

“Cleaning and disinfecting require the right approach to adequately remove soils and prevent the spread of harmful pathogens,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “The GBAC STAR accreditation program teaches organizations how best to manage cleaning and disinfection in their facilities and offers guidance on important infection prevention strategies like wearing masks, conducting temperature checks, sanitizing hands, and more.”

Expedited in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GBAC STAR accreditation program helps facilities prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological threats, and biohazard situations. Just six months later, more than 3,500 facilities have committed to the program, which has accredited more than 500 facilities around the world to date with new organizations registering daily. Earlier this week, ISSA and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced a partnership in which IWBI acknowledges GBAC STAR to fulfill the cleaning and sanitization credits within the holistic WELL Health-Safety Rating.

The GBAC STAR Facility Directory keeps track of all completed or in-progress accreditations to help consumers easily find facilities that are committed to a higher standard of cleanliness.

The following new IAVM venues have achieved GBAC STAR accreditation this month:

Arenas

American Airlines Center in Dallas, home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars
Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and more
Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc., home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks
TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.

Convention Centers

ASM Global – Reno Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev.
Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas
Floreano Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y.
Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pa.
The Classic Center in Athens, Ga.

Museum

NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

“GBAC STAR is designed to accommodate facilities of all different sizes and types so that people can feel confident about cleanliness measures wherever they go,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “We would like to congratulate this latest round of accredited facilities on their achievement and their ongoing commitment to health and safety.”

Interested in seeking GBAC STAR facility accreditation for your space? Visit gbac.org/star to learn more and apply. To gain access to the advisory council to assist you in the process, IAVM members must enter the code “IAVM2020” when applying!