Northwest Sport Management Summit scheduled November 16 at CWU

The Northwest Center for Sport (NWCS) will be hosting the fourth annual Northwest Sport Management Summit at Central Washington University on Thursday, November 16, welcoming a host of industry professionals and CWU alumni.

Seattle Seahawks Assistant General Manager and CWU alumnus Nolan Teasley (’07) will be the keynote speaker for the event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the newly renovated Nicholson Arena. Breakout speed-networking sessions will be held in nearby classroom spaces, while a post-event reception will be hosted in the fieldhouse at 4 p.m.

The Northwest Sport Management Summit is geared toward aspiring sport management professionals and others in the community who are interested in learning more about how sport and athletic organizations operate behind the scenes.

This year’s theme is “It’s Game Time: Managing a Successful Gameday,” which is tied to a new Sport Event and Gameday Operations specialization in the CWU Department of Sport and Movement Studies.

“We just introduced a new program this fall, and that’s a big reason why we wanted to build this year’s summit around gameday operations,” NWCS director Dr. Sean Dahlin said, adding that his department partnered closely with the Hospitality, Tourism, and Events faculty to develop the new specialization.

“Working with Hospitality, Tourism, and Events just felt like a natural partnership, and we’re excited to see so many people interested in it.”

The panelists for this year’s summit include:

• Jordan Crawford: Manager of Ballpark Operations, Seattle Mariners
• Alexa Olague (’16 and ’18):Account Executive for Group Events, Seattle Mariners
• Frank Moreno: Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service, Seattle Sounders FC
• Savannah Scriven (’19): Recreation Manager, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
• Walter Franco: Principal of Victus Advisors
• Stephanie Delgado: Director of International Media, PGA Tour
• Anthony-Paul Diaz:  Superintendent/Director, Seattle Parks and Recreation
• Megan Thompson Nuti (’18): Marketing Manager, Pac-12 Conference
• Rusty Vineyard (’17): Chief Facilities Officer, University of Idaho
• Daniel Wray: Associate Athletic Director of Development, Saint Mary's College

Another highlight at the November 16 summit will be the announcement of CWU’s Alumni of the Year, Brad Case, who serves as the director of the City of Ellensburg’s Parks and Recreation department.

The NWCS's mission is to provide networking opportunities and professional development to students, and to connect them with professionals in the sport industry. The center also hosts an annual student trip that features visits to career fairs and touring sport venues to give undergraduate and graduate sport management students positive experiences and networking opportunities.

If you would like to learn more at the NWCS or its programs, email sean.dahlin@cwu.edu.