The Coppell Arts Center will be hosting a public topping out event on the construction site located in Old Town Coppell on Saturday, August 10 at 9am. The steel signing ceremony will give residents their first glimpse of the new entertainment and cultural venue slotted to open in May of 2020.

The event will first include a private reception for local dignitaries, resident art group members, and Coppell-based business leaders who have worked closely on the project. The public will then be able to enter the construction site and offered the opportunity to sign their name on one of the last pieces of steel to be installed. The ceremony gives individuals a rare opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the new Coppell Arts Center.

“Topping out ceremonies are typically attended by a small group of key stakeholders,” said Alex Hargis, Managing Director for the Coppell Arts Center. “But for this venue, we truly feel every Coppell citizen is a stakeholder who has played a part in making this dream a reality, which is why we wanted to extend the invitation to the entire community.”

The event will take place at 505 Travis Street directly across from the Coppell Farmers Market and will include live music and presentations from the Coppell Arts Council and the Center’s design team.

“This will be a proud day to remember,” said Pete Wilson, President of the Coppell Arts Council. “Many have worked hard to get this new home for Coppell artists built, and we look forward to signing the steel and feeling we have accomplished something spectacular.”

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Monsters have announced several senior-level promotions within the organization across the Facility Operations, Sales, Global Partnerships and Hockey Affairs teams. Antony Bonavita has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Venue Operations; Eric Clouse has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Service; Shelly Cayette-Weston has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships; and Jock Callendar has been promoted to Vice President, Hockey Affairs and Team Services for the Cleveland Monsters.

Antony Bonavita, CVE, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Venue Operations. In addition to overseeing all venue operations under the Cavaliers organizational umbrella, Bonavita has also played a leading role in the two-year renovation and construction process as part of the massive transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. He oversees the Facility Operations Team responsible for the successful programming, maintenance and daily operations of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the Cavaliers’ team training center, Cleveland Clinic Courts, as well as the organization’s facility operations interest in Canton, home of the team’s G-League affiliate Canton Charge, and additional warehouse facilities in suburban Cleveland. Bonavita also oversees all event booking efforts with the focus of maintaining Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse’s status as one of the busiest venues in the world.

Eric Clouse has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Service. Clouse leads all ticket-related strategy development, sales and service areas for the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse including groups, individual tickets and the team’s season ticket-based, year-round Wine & Gold United membership club. In addition, he leads all suite and premium seating sales and service efforts, including a principal role in the design and build-out of the numerous reimagined public and private hospitality spaces for the venue’s massive transformation project. Clouse also leads suite and premium seating sales and service for all concerts and special events at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Shelly Cayette-Weston has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships. Cayette-Weston leads a team that develops and maintains the organization’s many corporate partner relationships, manages all branding campaigns and executions for corporate partners, cultivates new corporate partnerships for the organization, and drives all related partner revenue and brand strategies in connection to the organization’s spectrum of business and promotional platforms. Most recently, she has created new executions for partnership development and strategy to support the on-going transformation project of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Jock Callander has been promoted to Vice President, Hockey Affairs and Team Services for the Cleveland Monsters. Callander will enter his 13th season with the Monsters AHL franchise as a key driver of the team’s hockey and business operations. He has been at the core of managing the Monsters affiliate partnership with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and has also been at the forefront of the team’s community relations and youth initiatives, in addition to leading the Monster’s team services area.

The Green Bay Packers have teamed up with U.S. Cellular to unveil a new climate-controlled ‘fan congregation’ space at historic Lambeau Field.

U.S. Cellular Loft will be open to all fans on game days and will span 6,000 square feet. It will be situated on the Lambeau Field upper concourse and include a full bar, televisions, tables and chairs, and stationary charging stations to charge wireless devices.

The area’s ‘Connection Corner’ will also feature three interactive photo booth stations and a ‘Charge at No Charge’ program that will allow fans and guests to check out a portable, wireless charger which they can use back at their seats.

U.S. Cellular customers will be able to pick up vouchers at Connection Corner and exchange them for a free soda or water each game. The space will also feature pre-game appearances from Packers alumni, as well as an interactive vending machine that will offer games, team trivia, and opportunities to win prizes such as game tickets, autographed memorabilia and U.S. Cellular accessories.

The Packers signed a multi-year partnership with U.S. Cellular last July. U.S. Cellular is the official wireless partner of the team and the official sponsor of Wi-Fi at Lambeau Field.

The company has worked with the Packers to offer a range of digital tools and platforms for fans and visitors to Lambeau Field, with U.S. Cellular stations having been placed throughout the stadium so fans can stay connected on the team’s app. U.S. Cellular also sponsors the Packers’ mobile app and its wayfinding feature, which allows fans to navigate and explore Lambeau Field.

“We’re excited to further enhance our fans’ game-day experience with the U.S. Cellular Loft,” said team COO Ed Policy. “As the official wireless partner of the Green Bay Packers, U.S. Cellular has joined us offering new amenities and incorporating technology at Lambeau Field on game day and every day. We’re looking forward to our fans and visitors using this new space to come together and stay connected.”

“The 2019 award recipients represent a diverse group of our members and member venues,” stated Brad Mayne, IAVM President and CEO. “Each winner has shown the importance of giving back to our industry, their communities, and the public to whpm they serve.  I applaud all of our 2019 winners for their outstanding service and the strides they continue to make to ensure that what they do on a daily basis is meaningful to those they serve.”

Dr. Nicholas Pearce has a resume matched by few. A scholar, speaker, entrepreneur, and pastor, Pearce also has a passion when it comes to workplace matters, specifically when it comes to his presented session, “A Fireplace Chat on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.”

In a session moderated by Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Committee member Naz Sabripour, Dr. Pearce touched deeply on a number topics that, well, happen to be uncomfortable for many.

Pearce began by touching on the subject of work/life balance, a topic he says he that he pushes back against.

“It suggests you try to balance the two,” Pearce said. “A significant part of your life involves work. Think about life being integrated well with all parts of our lives being able to intersect.”

That said, what happens next in the workplace where one spends so much time?

“People think of diversity and inclusivity as a nice to have bonus, but to achieve goals it has to be inclusive of people in the community. The workforce of today is not the workforce of tomorrow.”

“You have more diverse people living in smaller spaces,” he noted.

Pearce next spoke about the comfort level that comes when teams operate homogenously. To coin another phrase, Pearce called it the “sea of sameness.” “This is when everybody around the table will feel good about themselves,” he said. “It feels good to have people agree with you. It’s the notion of the classic management idea that the best meeting is a fast meeting.

“Diversity is not a code word for minorities, but for human differences of all kinds. Leaders have to realize there is a trade-off between effectiveness and efficiency. Diversity makes us work harder and turn brains on a higher mode. You’re asking more questions and listen more differently.”

Pearce also noted that diversity and inclusion are used interchangeably, an error often unchecked.

“Diversity is about human difference of all kinds … race, disability status, or something deeper such as thought beliefs or social networks. Diversity is about counting the heads in the workplace but inclusion is making the heads count. You can have an organization very diverse but not very inclusive.”

The conversation next turned to equity. “If I am at the table, do I have an equal shot?” Pearce asked. “Does everyone have a level playing field?”

Pearce then made a comment that gave serious pause for consideration. To wit: organizations can create numbers that show they are “diverse” or “inclusive” when in reality the numbers can be manipulated. Or, as Pearce so succinctly said, “You can tell more lies on Excel than on Microsoft Word.”

“Equity is not a one-and-done decision,” he said. “It is a way of life. By 2043, the majority of the U.S. population will be people of color.”

Pearce concluded the fireside chat (which hopefully got a little too warm for some folks) by asking how an inclusive culture is created.

“It rises and falls on leadership,” he said. “Culture change is always to-down and has to be sustained through hiring. Do I hire the best talent or a diverse person? My answer is yes. It’s not either/or. When you are under pressure it reveals who you are anyway.”