The Ohio University Center for Sports Administration is proud to present the 2011 Sports Business Forum (formerly known as the Fall Speaker Series) on October 21-22 in Walter Hall. The Forum began as a professional development seminar that highlighted careers in sports. Designed for undergraduate students, the event gives an in-depth look at various professions within the sports industry.  In essence, the Forum is an opportunity for Ohio University to bridge the gap between the undergraduate, graduate, and professional sports administration students, providing a chance to gain further insight on the industry and professional development.

The following guests will be presenting this year:

Mike Redlick - VP Chief Sales Officer, Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Mike Redlick joined the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in March of 2011 where he is currently Sr. Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. Redlick oversees all corporate sales, tickets sales, suites and premium seat sales, licensing and marketing for IMS including the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, MotoGP and all other events held at the Speedway
 
Prior to joining IMS Redlick was VP, Business Development for the San Francisco 49ers. As such, Redlick was responsible for the team’s business development including corporate partnerships, luxury suites, signage, advertising, broadcast and new media sales. Before that he was with the Memphis Grizzlies, Redlick served as Executive Vice President of Business Operations, overseeing the corporate partnerships, broadcast sales, marketing, and community investment departments. Redlick originally joined the Grizzlies when the franchise arrived in Memphis in July 2001 and was integral in all marketing and advertising elements of the naming rights agreement for the venue.

Redlick holds a masters of sports administration degree from Ohio University, a juris doctorate degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and an undergraduate degree from Ohio University.Redlick and his wife, Danielle, have a daughter, Jadyn, and a son, Sawyer.

Tricia Turley Brandenburg - Associate AD for Compliance, Ohio University:
Tricia Turley Brandenburg is the Senior Associate AD for Compliance & Student Services at Ohio University.  She has also been an adjunct faculty member for both the Department of Sports Administration and the Department of Recreation & Sport Pedagogy.  Prior to arriving at Ohio in 2008, she served as the Associate AD for Compliance Services at UMass and Associate AD for Compliance & Enrollment Services/SWA at Northeastern.

Brandenburg also has experience in Enforcement at the NCAA, was on the Executive Board of the Women's Basketball Foundation as part of the local organizing committee for the 2006 Women's Final Four, and as an Operations/Scouting Intern for the Washington Redskins. Brandenburg previously chaired the Education & Professional Standards Committee and the Professional Standards & Ethics Subcommittee for NAAC. She is also on the Advisory Board of the College Athletics & the Law newsletter and is a graduate of the NCAA Fellows Leadership program. She received her B.S. in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University and has earned her M.S. in Leadership from Northeastern University.


Erika Austin - Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Middle Tennessee State University:
Erika Austin is in her first year at Middle Tennessee as the assistant athletic director for compliance. Her duties will include assisting with day-to-day compliance functions, new employee orientation, coordinating the NCAA certification exam for athletics department personnel, and overseeing the initial eligibility process for incoming student-athletes. Prior to joining MTSU, Austin served as assistant director of corporate alliances at the NCAA, a position she assumed from April 2003 to January 2010. In this role, Austin oversaw the daily management of the NCAA licensing programs, the NCAA championship equipment supplier program and the NCAA championship event-merchandising program.

Austin’s intercollegiate athletics career started as an Assistant Sports Information Director at the University of South Carolina and Georgia Tech, respectively, for a combined six years. Austin received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis. She is currently working on her Masters of Sports Administration degree at Ohio University.

Amy Bourke - Account Supervisor, GMR Marketing:
Amy Bourke is originally from the western suburbs of Chicago - Naperville, to be exact.  She joined GMR Marketing in 2008, and is currently responsible for the sports and entertainment strategy and activation for MillerCoors' Portfolio brands; essentially everything except Coors Light and Miller Lite.  



Her interest in sports began as a student manager at the University of Notre Dame, which led to a position with the Sports Information Department. While in school, Bourke spent two summers interning for the Kane County Cougars, a Class A minor league baseball team in Chicago. That's where she fell in love with sports marketing.  After graduation, she sold program ads for the Chicago Bulls and United Center for the summer, then secured a position with Paragon Marketing Group. While at Paragon, she worked with a variety of clients including Lucent Technologies, Continental Airlines and General Mills, and partners such as the PGA TOUR, US Ski Team, the League of American Theatres and Producers and several professional teams. Bourke has had a wide range of professional experiences, from selling signage over United Center urinals to creating a concert at Carnegie Hall.



She currently lives in Muskego, Wisconsin, with her husband, Mike and dog, Paxson.


Christina Ramos - Partnership Services & Fulfillment, Discover Orange Bowl:
Christina Ramos has been with the Orange Bowl Committee since 2007 in various roles. She currently serves as the Partnership Services and Fulfillment coordinator. In her role she is responsible for the activation of all elements for over 100 sponsor contracts surrounding all of the Orange Bowl Committee’s events; including sponsor programs in and around the Discover Orange Bowl game.

Before her current position she served as the 75th Anniversary Coordinator during their first double-hosting year. Christina did her undergrad at the University of Florida where she majored in Recreation and Event Management. She is currently a member of the inaugural Professional MSA Class of 2012 here at Ohio University. Some of her past experiences include working the BCS National Championship Game, the Super Bowl and within the University of Florida athletic department in various roles. Christina loves the Florida Gators and enjoys traveling, running and reading in her free time.


BC Johnson - Manager, Business Development, Disney Sports Attractions:
BC Johnson has worked at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando for the past 14 years.  In that time he’s held roles in Disney Finance, Organization Development (Disney's internal management consulting arm) and most recently, Disney Sports.  Within Disney Sports, he is a manger within the new business development team and also oversees the internship program.  Prior to Disney, BC held roles within finance and economic development.
 


He currently resides in Orlando with his wife Vicki and two daughters, Amber (15) and Piper (11).



Bruce Wimbish - Marketing/Communications Manager, Greater Columbus Sports Commissioner:
Bruce Wimbish joined the Greater Columbus Sports Commission as Senior Marketing & Communications Manager in December 2010.  In his role, Bruce is responsible for generating positive exposure for the GCSC and Columbus as a destination for sporting events while developing marketing and publicity plans to promote designated hosted events.

Bruce returned home to Columbus after close to seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  He was promoted to Cavaliers Basketball Communications Manager in August 2008 after joining the organization as Corporate Communications Coordinator in September 2004 and being promoted to manager in that area in 2007.  In his basketball communications role, Bruce was responsible for overseeing media credentials, the team’s game notes and statistical studies while assisting with press releases and interviews with players, coaches and front office personnel.  In his corporate communications role, he was tasked with generating positive exposure for the team’s business operations.

Wimbish earned a B.B.A. in Business Operations from the University of Cincinnati in June 2000, a M.B.A. in Marketing from The Ohio State University in June 2002 and a M.A. in Sports Management in June 2008.  He started his career as a corporate sales intern with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and joined the Cavaliers as a marketing intern in the summer of 2004.
 
The Columbus, OH native is a graduate of Worthington Kilbourne High School in Columbus and enjoys playing basketball, weightlifting, movies and music. Bruce resides in Gahanna, Ohio with his wife, Camille.

Chris Terwoord - Director of Ticket Sales and Service, New Jersey Devils:
Following collegiate internships with the Cleveland Browns, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the Ohio University Hockey Team, and Motorsports Management International, Chris began his career as a Ticket Sales Account Executive with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005. After two seasons with the Cavs, he spent three seasons as Senior Account Executive with the Chicago Blackhawks.  During the 2007-2008 season, Chris led the NHL in ticket sales, generating over $3.4 million for the Blackhawks in new ticket sales revenue.  In early 2009 Chris moved to the New Jersey Devils where he became Inside Sales Manager.  In 2010 he became the Director of Ticket Sales and Service with the Devils.  Currently the Devils are on pace to have their best Season Ticket Sales campaign ever, selling over 2,000 new full season tickets and renewing current ticket holders at their highest rate in over a decade. Chris attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland and is a 2005 graduate of Ohio University.

Jackie Reau - CEO, Gameday Communications:
Jackie Reau co-founded Game Day Communications, a sports and entertainment firm based in Cincinnati, with former ESPN Anchor Betsy Ross in 2002. The firm specializes in strategic communications counsel, event marketing, social media strategies and media coaching. Clients include: Akron Marathon, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network, Downtown Cincinnati Inc., Flying Pig Marathon, LPGA, Marvin Lewis Community Fund, Western & Southern Open and University of Cincinnati, among others.

Before Game Day, Jackie served as the director of marketing & PR at the Cincinnati Art Museum as well as a senior communications consultant at The Christ Hospital. She is a proud graduate of the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and currently working toward a master's in sports administration. Jackie teaches Sports PR and Media Relations & Sport at the University of Cincinnati. She is also active in the community serving on the boards of Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, Cincinnati Sports Professional Network, and Dress for Success Cincinnati.

Jim Host - Host Communications:
Jim Host is the founder and former CEO of Host Communication. Starting from nothing in 1972 he built Host Communication into the preeminent college sports-marketing firm in the country. It was named one of the top five sports marketing companies in the world by Sports Business Journal in May 2000. In 2007, Host Communications, Inc. and the Collegiate Licensing Company were joined to form IMG College. Most recently, Jim Host has been the driving force as a volunteer chairman with the Louisville Arena Authority, Inc. Raising $238 million for the KFC Yum! Center.






Sport Management undergraduates and other undergraduates from neighboring colleges are invited to attend this event.  Additionally, included in the events will be a networking social for graduate students and a seperate open house for visiting undergraduates with the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration Executive Director, Jim Kahler. Mr. Kahler, along with current graduate students, will be presenting information regarding the OU SAFM program. Spots are limited so please reach out to Andrew Wade (andrew.wade.25@gmail.com) quickly to reserve your spot.