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Fall Conference

The Fall Conference was initiated in 2003 by long-time Partners in Sports supporter Bill Schmidt along with Dr. Buck Jones. Bill is the former vice-president of Gatorade Worldwide Sports Marketing and CEO of Oakley Sunglasses. Bill used his plethora of contacts and relationships to invite industry leaders to speak to students in the Sport Management program. The conference was traditionally held in the Wolf-Kaplan Room at Neyland Stadium and averaged 150 attendees from 2003 to 2019. The half-day event was managed and operated by the Partners in Sports Student Board of Directors which allowed those students to gain valuable leadership experience in executing an event. The event also allowed for students to interact in a professional environment with one another, alumni and other sport industry professionals.

The conference was restructured in 2020 and held virtually due to factors related to COVID-19. The focus of the conference was women working in collegiate athletics. The 2021 event was a panel discussion featuring perspectives Name, Image, and Likeness in college athletics. In 2022, a speaker series was introduced as the format for the event.

YearSpeakerPosition/Affiliation
2022-23Justin Jackson
Jay Graham
Adam Alexander
Director of Operations – National Basketball Players Association
Retired Collegiate Football Coach
Fox Sports – Motor Sports
2021Sheridan Gannon
John Fulkerson
Kathryn Jones
Bill Timpano
Head of Media & Entertainment – Spyre Sports Group
Student-Athlete – Tennessee Basketball
Director of Name, Image, and Likeness – Tennessee Athletics
Director of Compliance – Tennessee Athletics
2020Carolyn Crutchfield
Rachel Fineberg
Regina Johnson
Ashlie Santolla
SWA/Associate Athletic Director – Old Dominion
SWA/Assistant Athletic Director – Nova Southeastern
Director of Football Academics – Florida State
Director of Sports Information – Charleston (W.V.)
2019Sue Buckley
Che Mock
Dr. Kendall Rainey
Brenda Staton
Founder and President – Club Vibes
Founding Partner – ESQ Agency
Athletic Director – UVA -Wise
Marketing Assets & Activation Manager – Coca-Cola
2018Natalee Anderson
CJ Fayton
Victoria Kline
Marty Mulford
Dara Worrell
Director, Private Events – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Director of VFL Programming – Tennessee Athletics
Manager, Social Media & Digital Marketing – Atlanta Braves
Senior Director of Service & Retention – Nashville Predators
Associate Athletics Director – Tennessee Athletics
2017Chris Burton
Janeen Lalik
Dan Leibovitz
Chad Speck
Director of Premium Seating – Nashville Predators
Senior Associate AD – Tennessee Athletics
Associate Commissioner – Southeastern Conference
Partner/President – Allegiant Athletic Agency
2016Monica Fawknotson
Nigel Fields
Craig Jenkins
Tyler Johnson
Executive Director – Metro Nashville Sports Authority
Chief of Resource Education – Great Smoky Mountains NP
Senior Director of Corporate Marketing – Tennessee Smokies
Associate Athletic Director – Tennessee Athletics
2015Tony Johnson
Jennifer Hoverstad
Mendy McMurtry
Ryan Robinson
EVP Business Development – Learfield Licensing
Operations and Project Manager – o3
Senior Regional Manager – UnderArmour
Senior Associate Athletic Director – Tennessee Athletics
2014Seana Swierzek
Mark Krause
Bridget Burke
Kevin Ross
Director of Business Development – 160over90
Founder and CEO – Cyclops Gear
Director of Digital Assets – IMG
Vice-President of Footwear – UnderArmour
2013Lisa Hurst
Cory Moss
Keri Potts
Tom Satkowiak
CEO – Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley
Senior VP & Marketing Director – Collegiate Licensing Co.
Senior Director of Public Relations – ESPN
Associate Director of Media Relations – Tennessee Athletics
2012Colin Clark
John Maedel
Jenneen Kaufman
Houston Fancher
Assistant VP of Marketing – Ripken Baseball
VP/Assistant General Manager – Chattanooga Lookouts
VP/Chief Financial Officer – Tennessee Titans
Director of Operations – Tennessee Basketball
2011Andre Lott
Carol Evans
John Ewart
David Knight
Vol For Life Coordinator – Tennessee Athletics
Executive Director – Legacy Parks Foundation
Executive Director – Tennova Health & Fitness
Director of Ticket Operations – Southeastern Conference
2010Tim Mack
Bob Reich
Kevin Ross
Bill Schmidt
Gold Medalist – 2004 Olympics
Vice President Customer and Dealer Support – SeaRay
Vice President/General Manager – TaylorMade Golf
Founder and CEO – Pegasus Marketing
2009Jared Karnes
Larry Robinson
Debbie Corum
Earl Lloyd
Greg Via
Executive Vice President – Allegiant Athletic Agency
Student-Athlete – Tennessee Basketball
Associate Commissioner – Southeastern Conference
Hall of Fame Member – NBA
Global Director of Sports Marketing – Gillette
2008Steve Early
Dr. Daniel Fulks
Dan Holden
Jennifer Wiggins
Vice President and General Manager – The Vol Network
NCAA Research Staff – Transylvania University
Ticket Operations Manager – Atlanta Braves
Director of Capital and Endowment Giving – Tennessee Athletics
2007Scott Paddock
John Althoff
Andy Dolich
Mike Paul
Director of Sports Marketing – Gatorade
Collegiate Sports Sponsorship Coordinator – State Farm
President of Business Operations – Memphis Grizzlies
President – MPG & Associates PR Firm
2006Mary Reiling Spencer
Kenneth Shropshire
Susan O’Malley
Bill Kraus
OnSports, Wasserman Media Group
Director, Wharton School of Business
President, Washington Sports and Entertainment
Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports, UnderArmour
2005Darren Rovell
Kevin Donnellon
Peter Bynoe
Hank Steinbrecher
Sports Business Reporter – ESPN
Founder and President – Macali Communications
Senior Partner – DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary
President – Touchline Consultants Inc.
2004Bruce Weber
Bill Kraus
Greg Via
Tom Condon
Publisher – Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director
Vice President of Licensing/Team Sports – UnderArmour
Vice-President – New Era Cap Company
President – IMG Football
2003Gordon Whitener
Rob Gallas
John La Sage
David Falk
CEO – Host Communications
Senior VP of Broadcasting/Marketing – Chicago White Sox
CEO – Chicago Midwest Burson-Marsteller
Attorney – SFX Basketball

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