Industry veteran Thomas Tingle has joined the DLR Group Sports studio in Kansas City as a Client Leader. He will develop new relationships with professional organizations and collegiate programs across the country and create long-term value for new and existing clients.

Tingle brings 30 years of diverse experience in the sports industry and has been responsible for the development of several high profile sports venues across the U.S. He has an invaluable knowledge of the sports industry that will benefit student-athletes, universities, communities, and the fan bases they serve.

“Tom is an architect who has been a leader in the sports industry for many years and is well known and respected across the country,” said DLR Group Global Sports Leader Don Barnum, AIA. “His breadth of experience in design, construction, and development will continue to elevate the sports studio at DLR Group.”

Nationally recognized projects Tom has worked on includes the Commonwealth Stadium Renovation at the University of Kentucky, the Mackey Arena Renovation at the University of Purdue, Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, Auto Zone Park for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Time Warner Arena for the Charlotte Hornets, and Petco Park for the San Diego Padres.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

We were recently notified of the passing of Alvin Richards, a long time IAVM member, passed away on April 8^th at the age of 79.

While he began his career in the Canadian Forces and spent some time in the oil business, Richards’ was a long time tourism promoter and sports fan. He served over 20 years with the Calgary Convention Center, first as the assistant general manager and ending his career as the general manager.

Richards’ wife, Muriel, stated that his heart lay with serving the Calgary North Hill Lions Club, especially with their service program Make a Child’s Dream Come True. He served as a member of the Lions Club for over 50 years.

He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and he enjoyed helping others, especially children. His family have asked that any memorial contributions be sent to the Make a Child’s Dream Come True charity by contacting clagarynorthhillions.ca. A tree in his memory will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary. A memorial guest book is also available online at http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/calgaryherald/alvin-richards-al-condolences/185111283.

When Jeff Davis, CVP, CMP, director/general manager of the state-of-the-art College Park Center arena on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), began a tour of the venue last Friday for IAVM staff, the first thing that raced through my mind was, “Hey, this ain’t no Texas Hall!”

Granted, that’s no way for a guy who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a journalism emphasis from UTA to represent his alma mater, but, as they say, it is what it is.

College Park Center arrived on the Arlington scene in February 2012, an opening bumped up three months from the original planned debut as decreed by former university President James Spaniolo. The February 1, 2012 opening of the 7,000-seat arena saw a doubleheader basketball game featuring both the UTA men and women taking the court.

“This was 40 years in the making,” Davis told IAVM staff. “The original opening date was May of 2012, but the president wanted to have a basketball doubleheader game and get the building opened rather than with some May graduations.”

The facility now hosts UTA volleyball as well as the WNBA Dallas Wings in addition to the Maverick basketball teams. The multi-purpose venue also hosts concerts and celebrated a Drake show that sold out in 13 minutes to launch its concert calendar in 2012. In all, College Park Center played host to 22 events in those first 30 days.

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Adonis “Sporty” Jeralds, CFE, has enjoyed a distinguished career that has taken him from the outset of his public assembly venue management career at the Hampton (VA) Coliseum in 1983 to his current role as an clinical professor in the University of South Carolina’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. The change in Jeralds’ career path, where the venue world remains an integral part of his teaching, also took him from the position as an IAVM voting member to someone without the right to vote, something Jeralds would like to see changed when IAVM members begin voting on May 19 on the One Member, One Vote initiative.

The initiative coming up for a vote by members follows extensive study, review and open discussion over the last two years, at which point the IAVM Board of Directors voted unanimously to bring forward proposed changes to the bylaws that would make the Association more inclusive and diverse in its decision making. As a means to incorporate the perspective of all IAVM members, these changes would allow every member of IAVM equal opportunity to engage in the Association through the right to vote. These proposed changes must be approved by two-thirds of the current voting members of IAVM.

“I offer my full support for One Member, One Vote,” Jeralds said. “As an IAVM member for more than 30 years, I have seen many organizational changes over that time. One of the things that has been a constant is the ability of members in good standing to have input on various issues.”

Jeralds attended Guilford College and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has a master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts and a second master’s degree in Public Administration from UNC Chapel Hill. It is obvious that his current position of educating aspiring public assembly venue students largely stems from his own education and experience.

After beginning his career at the Hampton Coliseum in 1983, Jeralds accepted a position at the Charlotte Coliseum as assistant manager. In 1990 he became manager of the Charlotte Coliseum, a position he held for 15 years. As manager of the Charlotte Coliseum, Jeralds was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the venue, which included overseeing a $12 million budget and a staff of over 60 full-time and 600 part-time employees. He currently also works with the Charlotte Hornets in their community relations department.

“Although I have transitioned from a full-time arena manager to a full-time faculty position, I am still very much concerned about our Association,” Jeralds said. “As I train the next generation of venue management professionals, I want them to understand that their voice matters and that all members of IAVM help contribute to its collective success. I am hopeful that upon reflection our membership will provide a voice for EVERY member.”

For more information about the One Member, One Vote initiative, please click here.

Robert Johnson, president and general manager of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, announced his retirement effective September 2017. Johnson has served as the facility’s senior director since 2007.

Johnson has led the nation’s 6th largest convention and exhibition hall through numerous renovations and improvements, including the addition of the $52 million Great Hall and Julia Street entry plaza. Most recently Johnson has been the primary visionary and driver behind the facility’s planned renaissance of Convention Center Boulevard to include a more pedestrian-friendly linear park, as well as the development of a series of mixed use hotel, residential, entertainment and hospitality and retail complexes onto upriver acreage owned by and adjacent to the convention center. These over $1 billion in improvements and investments are expected to be game changers in New Orleans’ effort to stay competitive in the meetings and convention industry.

“Bob Johnson has been instrumental in every major advancement undertaken by the Convention Center over the past 10 years,” said Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Chair Melvin Rodrigue. “The entire state’s hospitality industry is deeply indebted to Bob for his leadership and tenacity in helping to make our convention center one of the most utilized and recognized in the country.”

Among Johnson’s notable accomplishments are his leadership of the convention center’s recovery and ultimately, the city’s hospitality industry’s recovery following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Center’s occupancy has returned to pre-Katrina levels and the city’s recently announced record number of visitors reflects that level of business improvement. Johnson has led several industry- pioneering initiatives including Center owned and produced events, a widely recognized customer excellence program and owning its own UPS Store franchise among others.

“I’ve had the most enriching career a venue manager could want through my early years at the dome and culminating with my time at the convention center,” Johnson said. “Through my work, I’ve traveled around the globe but promoting New Orleans has always been my passion. I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure at the center, which is blessed with the most dedicated staff of any venue.”

Johnson’s venue management career spanned 46 years beginning in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he graduated from Wake Forest University. Prior to joining the convention center staff, Johnson opened UNO’s Lakefront Arena, which became recognized nationally as a leading concert venue of its size. He had a distinguished career with global facilities management company SMG, including a 10- year stint in New Orleans as the general manager of the Superdome, where he oversaw the hosting of NCAA Final Four Tournaments, Super Bowls, a Republican National Convention and the Papal visit.

Johnson is a long-time IAVM member and was a founding member of the New Orleans Sports Foundation.