Wondering Who’s Who? Here’s a Go-To Guide

 Sports tourism  is a quickly evolving market, with new developments happening almost every day. That, in turn, means event owners need knowledgeable partners in all markets.
 

  Over the next few pages, you will find a compendium of some of the best and brightest in the business. These professionals can provide knowledgeable input not just on their destinations but on what it takes to make events work there. They have the experience, know-how and skillsets you need to make your next tournament a success.
 

Arizona: Tempe 
Luchie Javelosa, STS
Senior Sports Sales Manager,
Tempe Tourism Office

Combining her passion for sports and travel, Luchie Javelosa launched her career in the tourism industry over five years ago at Visit Tucson, where she most recently served as the Director of Sports. In her current role, as the Senior Sports Sales Manager at the Tempe Tourism Office (TTO), she single-handedly cultivates a network of athletes, meeting planners and industry pros who are enthusiastic about bringing every level of competition to the state-of-the-art facilities and venues Tempe is proud to offer.
 

Luchie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in psychology. She continues to hone her industry prowess as a certified Sports Tourism Strategist through Sports ETA and a Sports Diversity Leader – Travel through Compete Sports Diversity. Additionally, she serves on numerous Sports ETA communities, including the Young Professionals Community, DEI Community and the State Association Leaders Group. As a result of her efforts, Luchie was recognized as the Young Professional of the Year at the Sports ETA Symposium in October 2021.
 

Like many of the athletes she brings to Tempe, Luchie enjoys being active, weightlifting and spending time outdoors. She also loves to travel and plans to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc within the next few years.
 

For more information on bringing your next event to Tempe, contact Luchie at luchie@tempetourism.com or 480-305-1365.
 

Florida: Paradise Coast
Adrian Moses
General Manager, Paradise
Coast Sports Complex

Adrian Moses has over 20 years of experience in the sports, recreation and service industries. His career led to managing large complexes including opening the training facility for the Houston Dynamo organization in 2011, where he served the dual role of Director of Soccer Programs and General Manager of the Houston Sports Park. Adrian brings his expertise to his role as General Manager of the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida.
 

In this position, Adrian leads the Paradise Coast Sports Complex team in all facets of the daily operations. This includes staff development, branding and marketing, sales, risk management and event booking. Additionally, Adrian works to raise the profile of Paradise Coast Sports Complex among event operators, both in the surrounding community and regionally, and recently accomplished presenting Collier County and the Paradise Coast Sports Complex as the latest expansion market/venue in the United Soccer Leagues.
 

Prior to opening Houston Sports Park, Adrian enjoyed a successful career as a coach on staff with the New York Red Bulls. Adrian also owned a promotion and production company that assisted corporate and philanthropic partners with events and brand recognition and previously served as the General Manager of Launchpad Sports Complex.
 

Illinois: Aurora

Brad Banks
Sports Sales Manager,
Aurora Area Sports Alliance

Brad Banks is a former professional football player who was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a college quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he won the Davey O’Brien Award, was named the AP College Football Player of the Year and finished as the runner-up for the 2002 Heisman Trophy.
 

Brad’s career in sports started out just like the youth and amateur league players who travel across the country, participating in athletic tournaments on a year-round basis. As a youth in Belle Glade, Florida, Brad was a multi-sport athlete who can relate to the value and impact of youth sports on childhood development, as well as what it takes to compete in athletic tournaments today.
 

“I’m super excited to be in a position to help fulfill dreams and give kids the best memories of their lives, traveling and competing with friends and family by their side,” said Banks about his new role as Sports Sales Manager for the Aurora Area Sports Alliance in western Chicagoland. Contact Brad at brad@enjoyaurora.com or call 630-256-3194.
 

Illinois: Rockford
Lindsay Arellano
Vice President of Sales, Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Lindsay Arellano channels personal enthusiasm for sports into successes at the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. As the bureau’s Vice President of Sales, Lindsay oversees a team that has made the Rockford, Illinois region a leader in sports tourism.
 

Promoting venues for athletes along with the region’s array of dining and leisure options, Lindsay and her team have retained the area’s appeal as a regional destination for soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse tournaments and then built on it. She and her team attract farther-reaching tournaments such as the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Association Championships and U.S. Figure Skating’s Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships.
 

Under her leadership, the Rockford region ranks among select U.S. hosts for global brands like Tough Mudder, an extreme obstacle race, and Gran Fondo New York, the world’s largest cycling marathon.
 

A native of Rockford, Lindsay takes pride in guiding the relationship building that draws thousands of visitors to the place where she grew up running cross country and playing club soccer. She is married and has three children. An energetic mom in a sports family, Lindsay is busy most evenings taking her daughter to gymnastics or her sons to practice with the Rockford Raptors soccer team.
 

Indiana: Fort Wayne 
Jazmin Zavala
Sports Sales Manager,
Visit Fort Wayne

Jazmin Zavala is the Sports Sales Manager at Visit Fort Wayne, responsible for developing relationships with sports rights holders, national governing bodies, local facility representatives, local club organizations and the lodging community to secure sporting events in the Greater Fort Wayne area.
 

She has over a decade of experience in sales, specializing in customer service and marketing strategies. Jazmin is a proud resident of Fort Wayne and has continued her passion for sports as a previous student athlete, coach and national referee official for various sports including adaptive.
 

During her college career, Jazmin earned her Bachelor of General Studies degree with a concentration in writing and communications, which has positioned her for success in developing creative and dynamic ways to represent Fort Wayne as a top sports destination in the Midwest to tournament planners.
 

In 2023, Jazmin spearheaded the new Fort Wayne, Indiana Destination Sports brand to position Fort Wayne as a leader in the sports events industry and to stand out to meeting planners as a world-class destination. For more information about Fort Wayne, Indiana, contact Jazmin at jazmin@visitfortwayne.com or 260-424-3700.
 

Indiana: Hamilton County 
Carl Daniels
Director, Hamilton County
Sports Authority

Daniels is a dynamic and results-oriented executive with over 20 years of proven expertise in leadership development, customer-centric strategies and driving organic growth. With a strong track record in building relationships, mentoring teams and demonstrating exceptional business acumen, Daniels excels in identifying new business opportunities and ensuring brand consistency across organizations.
 

Currently serving as the Director of Hamilton County Sports Authority, Carl plays a pivotal role in shaping the sports landscape within the region, fostering partnerships and driving economic development through sports-related initiatives.
 

Daniels has held various leadership roles, including Vice President of Business Development at Sports Ventures International and Vice President of Player Development for the Indiana Pacers. In these roles, he established critical corporate relationships, drove market penetration and enriched player experiences, contributing significantly to team morale and performance.
 

With a bachelor of arts degree from Rice University and a wealth of experience spanning diverse industries, Daniels brings a unique blend of strategic vision, operational expertise and a passion for fostering growth and development in both professional and community settings.
 

He can be contacted at cdaniels@hamiltoncountysports.com or HamiltonCountySports.com.
 

Indiana: Hamilton County 
Gabe Amick
Senior Sports Development Manager, Hamilton County Sports Authority

Gabe Amick focuses on attracting, supporting and developing events and activities that drive positive impact through sport to the area. A graduate of Ball State University, Amick started his sports career with Indiana Sports Corporation where he was the Director of Ticketing and Promotions. In that role, Amick worked on several marquee events including multiple NCAA Final Fours, Olympic Trials, NCAA Championships, Big Ten Conference Championships and the 2012 Super Bowl.
 

Amick then helped start the professional hockey team, Indy Fuel (Chicago Blackhawks minor league affiliate) as the Vice President of Fan Engagement. In this role, he was instrumental in the “show” and the development of staff to produce an experience that was more than a hockey game. He then was recruited to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to manage the ticket operations for the Red Bull Air Race, the Brickyard 400, IWIT LPGA Golf Championship and the 101st Indianapolis 500.
 

Amick’s last journey was with the City of Fishers, Indiana where he produced city-wide events before moving over to Hamilton County Sports Authority.

He can be contacted at gamick@hamiltoncountysports.com or HamiltonCountySports.com.
 

Kentucky: Lexington 
John V. Pohl, SMP, STS
Director of Sports and Equine Sales, VisitLEX

John started with VisitLEX in October 1994 and for the past 30 years, has been marketing Lexington as an event destination. He coordinates the VisitLEX sales efforts within the Sports and Equine market segments. These segments are dependent on local venues and facilities to accommodate sporting events including soccer, tennis, baseball, basketball and volleyball.
 

VisitLEX assists local organizations and chapters of National Governing Bodies with bid presentations, logistics, site visits and bid fees. Trade show attendance is a large part of the sales process, including exhibiting and conducting meetings with planners and rights holders. Additionally, by establishing strong relationships the University of Kentucky Athletics, Transylvania University Athletics, the Lexington Sporting Club, Breeders’ Cup and the Kentucky Horse Park, John has been able to bid to host a wide variety of events across the sports spectrum.
 

Lexington has hosted many international and national sporting events such as Breeders’ Cup Racing Championships, The World Championships of Colt Starting-Road to the Horse, The Land-Rover-Kentucky 3 Day Eventing-5 Star Championships, The World Equestrian Championships, NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and the US Dressage National Championships with the economic impact being felt across the Bluegrass Region.
 

He can be contacted at 859-244-7716, jpohl@visitlex.com and www.visitlex.com.

Missouri: Cape Girardeau 
Joshua Robison
Experience Development
Specialist, VisitCape

Joshua Robison joins VisitCape following five years with the St. Louis Ambush Indoor Soccer team, where he was the Director of Partner and Fan Engagement. While with the team, he enjoyed creating memories for groups from local schools, soccer clubs and community organizations. When the opportunity came to return home, he joined VisitCape to create memories for Cape residents and visitors alike.
 

His enthusiasm for providing top-notch experiences has not dwindled. In Cape Girardeau, he works to enhance the quality of life of Cape residents by bringing in events, such as Riverfront Fall Festival, Motorcycle Cannonball and Corvette Caravan. Joshua also looks to bring tournaments, conferences and motorcoaches so visitors are able to experience everything that Cape Girardeau has to offer.
 

Missouri: Lake of the Ozarks
Lagina Fitzpatrick, CMP, CHSC
Executive Director, Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association

Lagina Fitzpatrick is the Executive Director of the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association (TCLA) that serves as the Tourism Marketing Organization for Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. Lagina is a member of Show Me Missouri Sports and served as the Show Me MO Sports team leader for two years.
 

Fitzpatrick currently serves as the U.S. President on the international board of the Can-Am Police-Fire Games (she is the first female ever to be elected president of the organization). Fitzpatrick successfully spearedheaded the Lake team in winning bids to host back-to-back games, which was the first time in the history of the games.
 

The Lake hosts over 500 fishing events a year, many of them negotiated and organized through Fitzpatrick and her team. The Lake is also home to Ball Parks National, a growing sports facility, and Missouri Trap Shooters, one of the largest trap shooting facilities in the county. Fitzpatrick and her team organize two Pub Crawls a year as well as chair the Lake of the Ozarks Christmas Parade.
 

Fitzpatrick served on the board of Missouri Travel Alliance for 12 years and served as President from 2013-2015. In 2016 was awarded the Missouri Division of Tourism Ambassador Award.
 

North Carolina: Cabarrus County
Paul Sheehan, STS
Sales Manager,
Cabarrus County CVB

Paul Sheehan joined the Cabarrus County CVB in Concord, North Carolina in 2023 after serving as Sports Development Manager with Visit Winston-Salem. His prior experience also includes the roles of Director of Sports Development for the Greenville-Pitt County Sports Commission and Assistant Director of Sports Development at Visit Greenville in Greenville, North Carolina.
 

In Cabarrus, Sheehan works with sports planners to find the best fit among the destination’s unique venues, including eight turf fields and state-of-the-art MONDO track and field facility. Minutes north of Charlotte, Cabarrus County is also home to 30+ hotels offering amenities and price points for every budget, thrilling attractions and a variety of dining options from local restaurants to national favorites.
 

Sheehan became U.S. Center for SafeSport certified in 2020 and earned Sports ETA’s Sports Tourism Strategist certification in 2021. Throughout his career, he has served on several boards and committees including the North Carolina Sports Association, NC Sports Leadership Council and Sports ETA. In 2019, he received the North Carolina Travel Industry Association’s Rising Star Award.
 

Sheehan graduated from Appalachian State University and went on to attend Graduate School at East Carolina University where he earned a master of business administration and master of science in sports management.
 

Ohio: Shores & Islands
Emma Melter
Sports Tourism Manager,
Shores & Islands Ohio

Emma Melter has recently assumed the position of Sports Tourism Manager at Shores & Islands Ohio. In her new capacity, Emma will collaborate with Shores & Islands Ohio partners to attract new sporting events to the destination. Additionally, she will contribute to the growth of existing events by providing support and enhancement services such as awareness of grant programs, marketing assistance and general area information for event participants.
 

Although Emma grew up just outside the Shores & Islands Ohio region, she has always been closely connected to the area. A recent graduate of Bowling Green State University, she holds a degree in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management. Throughout her academic journey, Emma gained valuable experience working with various partners in the destination. Her educational endeavors culminated in an internship in Columbus, Ohio and untimely led her to Shores & Islands Ohio.
 

She can be contacted at 419-624-6924 or emma@shoresandislands.com.
 

Pennsylvania: Valley Forge and Montgomery County 
Jon Scheuren
Director of Sports,
Valley Forge Sports

Jon Scheuren, Director of Sports for Valley Forge Sports, has been with the tourism board since 2017.
 

With a background in facility management both locally and in Pittsburgh, Jon has led the growth of the sports market in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to record-breaking success.
 

When asked about his favorite part of the job, he says it’s being able to work in such a fun and fast-paced industry with a great team.

Pennsylvania: Valley Forge and Montgomery County
Rachel Dailey
Associate Director of Sports,
Valley Forge Sports

Rachel Dailey, Associate Director of Sports for Valley Forge Sports, has been with the tourism board since 2019.
 

She brings nearly 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the team, including previous destination sales experience at two other Pennsylvania destinations and five years as a hotel director of sales and marketing, as well as casino and restaurant experience.
 

When asked about her favorite part of the job, she says it’s fulfilling to share in other people’s passion for their sport and their vision for success and to help make it happen.

Tennessee: Sevierville
Casey Mize
Sales Coordinator,
The City of Sevierville

Casey Mize works as a sales coordinator for The City of Sevierville. With over 13 years of experience, she is an expert in helping event planners turn their ideas into more than just an event but also a memorable destination.
 

Her commitment and attention to detail ensure that every client is given a unique and unforgettable experience. Casey firmly believes that every client deserves the best for their event, and she takes pride in knowing that they will receive top-notch support at The Sevierville Convention Center.
 

As a native of Sevierville, she is proud to be a part of the positive impact that The Sevierville Convention Center team is making in her community.
 

Canada: Surrey
Jordan Campbell
Community Services Coordinator, City of Surrey, British Columbia

Jordan Campbell is a seasoned Community Services Coordinator for the City of Surrey with a proven track record of over seven years in recreation and community services. With a keen focus on elevating community wellbeing through sports and recreation initiatives, Jordan specializes in hosting large-scale sporting events that leave a lasting impact.
 

As a destination for national and international events, Surrey offers a vibrant backdrop for unforgettable experiences. Jordan’s expertise spans a diverse range of sports, from hockey to aquatics and soccer to softball, ensuring that event organizers can create an enduring experience in Surrey.
 

In his role, Jordan is dedicated to positioning Surrey as a premier destination for sports tourism and community enhancement through top-notch event-hosting services. By forging strong partnerships with external stakeholders and leading internal teams, Jordan spearheads efforts to attract and host sporting events that not only draw in visitors but also contribute to the thriving energy of Surrey.
 

Event organizers seeking a dynamic and welcoming location for their next sporting event need look no further than Surrey, where Jordan Campbell and his team are ready to collaborate and bring their vision to life. SDM