Bill Walton | Former UCLA student-athlete, NBA player, and ESPN and Pac-12 Networks on-air talent
Bill Walton is a retired professional basketball player and television sportscaster. Bill has had a prominent career in the NBA with the Trailblazers, Clippers, and Celtics. He was a league MVP and has won multiple NCAA and NBA championships. He remains active in basketball through clinics, camps, coaching, and television commentary with positions over the last 21 years with ABC, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, Turner Sports, KCAL, NESN, and the NBA. Walton has also been inducted into the San Diego Breitbard Sports Hall of Fame, The UCLA Hall of Fame, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, the Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame and the Guinness Hall of Brilliance. In 2007, Walton was named one of the top 10 pundits in America by Forbes as well as one of the top 20 Business Athlete representatives by TSE Sports and Entertainment Group. In 2009, Walton was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association, and named as the inaugural inductee into the Grateful Dead Hall of Honor. Walton is currently the Executive Chairman of Connect SD Sport Innovators (SDSI) and serves on the board of the Junior Seau foundation.
Jamie Zaninovich | Deputy Commissioner/Chief Operating Officer, Pac-12
Jamie Zaninovich joined the Pac-12 Conference as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer in July of 2014. He is responsible for all aspects of the Pac-12's administrative operations, including television administration, sport management, championships, football bowl relationships, Pac-12 Global, governance, enforcement, compliance, and officiating. During his first two years at the Pac-12, Zaninovich helped guide the conference through unprecedented governance changes, major increases in its international efforts, and continued high-level success of its 23 sponsored sports. To name just a few of his myriad accomplishments at the Pac-12, Zaninovich has overseen the addition of two Pac-12 sports, transitioned the Pac-12 football postseason from the BCS to the College Football Playoff, navigated major changes in intercollegiate athletics governance and rule-making, and overseen reforms to student-athlete benefits and the addition of the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Leadership Team to the Pac-12's official governance structure. ▼
During Zaninovich's time at the Pac-12, the Pac-12 Global initiative has also expanded exponentially. In 2015, the conference hosted the first-ever U.S. regular season basketball game, collegiate or professional, to be played in China as the University of Washington defeated the University of Texas in Shanghai. He also orchestrated the advent of a first of its kind coaching education program in which coaches from China visit Pac-12 universities to be trained on coaching techniques. Additionally, Zaninovich has helped increase global distribution of Pac-12 sports around the world and across multiple platforms, including LeSports in China and YouTube. Prior to the Pac-12, Zaninovich spent six years as the commissioner of the West Coast Conference. He led the WCC through a period of extraordinary membership growth, transformed the conference basketball championships into successful events, and brought forward television and digital media advances that showcased the WCC's brand regionally, nationally and internationally. Zaninovich also served on several national college sports committees. Notably, he was as a member of the prestigious NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee from 2011-2014 and a Chair of the Division I Collegiate Commissioners Association Division I Subdivision from 2010 to 2011. He is also a founding member of the Board of Managers and Competition Committee of the Men's Basketball Officiating LLC, and a past member of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics. In 2010, Zaninovich was named to Sports Business Journal's "40 Under 40" list in recognition of his visionary leadership at the WCC. Prior to becoming commissioner of the WCC, he was a sports administrator in two prominent Division I athletics departments, serving as a Senior Associate Athletic Director at Princeton and a Senior Assistant Athletic Director at Stanford. A native of Eugene, Oregon, Zaninovich is a graduate of Stanford University and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Jamie and his wife, Karen, live in Millbrae, Calif. and have two children, Max and Luke.
Halli Bovia, LEED AP | Sustainability Manager, University of Southern California
Through her career, Halli Bovia has been committed to the advancement of sustainability at institutions of higher education. Currently serving as the Sustainability Programs Manager at the University of Southern California, Halli has introduced ambitious programs designed to encourage sustainable practice while also engaging campus stakeholders. Since 2011, Her leadership of USC's Office of Sustainability has been marked by strong coalition building and has reaped successful partnerships including the one of the largest zero waste stadiums in the United States, a robust athletics sustainability program, a student green fund, a university-wide sustainability plan, and the establishment of an annual Earth Month. Prior to her tenure at USC, Halli served in a similar position at California State University, Chico, where she authored the university's Climate Action Plan, managed a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory, and launched a Zipcar car-sharing alternative transportation program. Halli holds a Bachelors in Biological Science and a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies: Ecology and Sustainability.
Yann Brandt | Managing Editor, SolarWakeup
Currently, Yann is the Managing Editor of SolarWakeup, which became one of the most influential newsletters and podcast in the solar industry. 5 days a week, solar executives from around the world read Yann's daily summaries that are his need to know topics. He is the CEO Braya Group, a consulting company that helps investors and solar companies remain competitive in an ever-changing environment. To date, Yann has acquired a decade of extensive executive experience in the solar sector and has successfully financed over $400 million dollars of solar projects across the globe. Yann holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. Most importantly, he loves spending quality time with his loved ones. Yann is married and proud father of three children.
Tim Carey | Senior Director for Sustainability and Recycling, PepsiCo
Tim Carey is the Senior Director for Sustainability and Recycling at PepsiCo. He is responsible for Resource Conservation, Consumer Recycling, Sustainable Agriculture and Customer sustainability programs for the North American beverage businesses. Tim serves on external Boards at The Sustainability Consortium, Keep America Beautiful, and The Closed Loop Fund where along with other CPG companies he is trying to change how businesses approach sustainability. He is a graduate of two schools form the Conference of Champions receiving a B.S. degree from Oregon State University and a Master's Degree in Engineering from the University of Arizona. He is a registered Professional Engineer in California.
Mick Deluca | Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Life, University of California, Los Angeles
Michael (Mick) Deluca is the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Life at UCLA where he has worked for the last 28 years. In this role Mick oversees a campus cluster to include the wide variety of recreation programs and services including instructional programs, summer camps, youth and family programs, competitive and intramural sports, 54 club teams, outdoor adventures, fitness and wellness, cultural arts, adaptive sports, and open recreation, and over sight of 22 recreational and multi-use sport facilities including the John Wooden Center and Pauley Pavilion, and Sports Venues event operation and management. In addition he provides administrative oversight of Campus Student Activities, student leadership programs, over 1200 student organizations, student event planning, community programs to include Student Initiated Access, Campus Retention, and Student Initiated Service Projects. In his time at UCLA, Mick has been in the role of Associate Director, and then Director, Department of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, and Executive Director, Recreation and Campus Life. ▼
Prior to working at UCLA, Mick also worked at the University of Denver as Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Campus Recreation and the University of Wyoming as a Physical Education Instructor and Intramural Director, and received degrees from Colorado Mesa University and the University of Denver. During his career he has overseen over 20 major capital projects and chaired over 50 university committees. He is currently on the steering committee of the UCLA Sustainability Committee, UCLA Health Campus Committee, was the university lead for the 2015 World Special Olympics Games Los Angeles, and is key university lead with the LA2024 Olympic Bid. He is recognized as an active leader within the University of California system and Pac-12 Conference and has served nationally within NASPA and NIRSA, Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, where he was in the position of President, 2012-13 and was recognized with the National Honor Award in 2016. Mick has also presented at the Collegiate Sports Sustainability Summit and the Green Sports Alliance.
Jason DePaepe | Associate Athletic Director, University of Colorado, Boulder
Jason DePaepe is in his 17th year at the University of Colorado and his third as the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Game Day Operations. In his new role, DePaepe has overseen the recent athletic facilities expansion project - working as the athletic department liaison with Mortenson Construction and the Populous design team on the $170 million project that added over 337,000 sq. ft. to the Athletic Department and renovations to another 38,000 sq. ft. The 6 story Champions Center and the Dal Ward renovations were completed in late 2015. The indoor practice facility was completed in early 2016 and includes an artificial turf football field as well as a 300 meter 8 lane track. The IPF is the only net-zero energy facility of its kind and boasts 850kW of solar panels that create more electricity than the facility uses on an annual basis. The entire expansion project has achieved LEED Platinum status. ▼
DePaepe, 42, is also responsible for overseeing all facilities maintenance, scheduling and game day operations for Folsom Field, the Dal Ward Athletic Center, Coors Events Center, Balch Fieldhouse, Prentup Field, Potts Field, the Football Practice Facility, Kittredge Lacrosse Field and the South Campus Tennis and Cross Country Facility. In his position, he also oversees the Folsom Field Events team. The newly constructed Champions Center and renovations in Dal Ward have doubled the number of event venues available for private events within Folsom Stadium. Folsom Field Event venues boast flexible event spaces and unparalleled views of the world famous Flatirons. Along with private events, he is also liaison for major annual events such as the Bolder Boulder, CU Commencement Ceremonies and Ralphie's Independence Day Blast fireworks show. DePaepe also stewards the Ralphie's Green Stampede program for the Athletic Department. In 2008, Folsom Stadium was the first major sporting venue in the United States to convert to zero waste. Recent efforts are pushing the zero waste efforts outside of the stadium footprint and into adjacent tailgating areas. Prior to his promotion to Associate Athletic Director, he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities. DePaepe was responsible for all athletic facilities, maintenance and support staff. He was in this role for 2 years. Overall, DePaepe has been with CU Athletics since 2000. He came to CU from the Baltimore Ravens, where he was the assistant field manager. Prior to that, he was employed by the Iowa State Athletic Department as a student and graduated from there in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science.
Rick George | Athletic Director, CU Boulder
Rick George was introduced as just the sixth full-time athletic director in University of Colorado history in 2013. George came to Colorado from the Texas Rangers baseball club of the American League, where he was named chief operating officer in 2010 with a promotion to president of business operations in 2013. Prior to joining the Rangers, George served as executive vice president and chief of operations for the PGA TOUR and as president of the Champions Tour from 2003-08. At the collegiate level, George worked in three major conferences (Big Ten, Big 8, Southeastern) in football operations. In his time at CU he has shepherded through a $156 million Athletic Complex Expansion from creation through fruition. The project is the core of the Sustainable Excellence Initiative (SEI), the jewel of which was a long-awaited indoor practice facility.
Angela Gilbert | Coordinator, ESPN Sustainability & CU Boulder Special Events Manager
Angie joined the Environmental Center in the Fall of 2015 as the Zero Waste Events Coordinator. Since 2010, Angie has worked with ESPN developing programs for waste reduction, environmental education and sustainable practices in television production. As the Zero Waste Events Coordinator, she works closely with Football, Basketball and numerous other events on campus to continue the mission of zero waste at CU Boulder and in the collegiate sector. In addition, she works with the student staff at the Recycling Operations Center (ROC) where they process all recycling collected on campus.
Sara Hoversten | Director, Corporate Partnerships
Sara joined the BEF team in Spring of 2016 to cultivate, maintain and expand partnerships that help advance the impact of BEF's mission. Her role is focused on partnerships and stakeholder engagement around the Change the Course and Solar 4R Schools programs. Prior to joining BEF, Sara was the Director of Operations at the Green Sports Alliance. In this role, she maintained external and internal facing responsibilities ranging from business development, program strategy and project management to business operations and human resources, and produced the annual Green Sports Alliance Summit. Throughout her career, Sara has served in different capacities in community development, impact investing, sustainability and marketing strategy consulting. She received her M.B.A. in Sustainable Business Practices from the University of Oregon, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in Marketing.
Mitch Huberman | Chief Business Development Officer, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Mitch Huberman has had his fingerprints on the success of nearly every major sports franchise and venue in the Southern California marketplace, as well as being the driving force in the tremendous success of the Pac-12 Conference. With over thirty years of experience, Huberman's vast knowledge touches all facets of sports marketing, including corporate sponsorships, television, radio, digital assets, broadcasting, media relations, community relations, public affairs, ticket sales, and suite and premium sales. Overall, Huberman has worked with over 200 companies in developing and implementing creative strategies to leverage partnership opportunities with a variety of professional and collegiate properties, venues, and events.
Brandon Leimbach | Senior Manager of Business Development, University of Colorado
Hired by Learfield in 2015 as the Senior Manager of Business Development at the University of Colorado, Brandon oversees all sports sustainability sponsorships and assists the CU Environmental Center with the leadership of the Ralphie's Green Stampede program. Prior to CU, Brandon was the Director of Athletics at NCAA Division II Dominican University of California. In addition to setting records for revenue generation during his tenure, the Dominican Penguins also experienced their highest ever rankings in the Pac West Conferences Commissioner's Cup Standings. Off the field, Dominican took home back to back Pac West Academic Achievement Awards highlighted by a record setting 3.41 GPA in 2014 with all twelve varsity sports earning a 3.0 or higher. Brandon has been working in collegiate athletics since 1999 and has extensive experience at both the NCAA Division I (Saint Mary's College of CA, University of Notre Dame, UC Irvine, University of Colorado) and Division II levels (Colorado School of Mines, Dominican University of California).
Seth Matlins | EVP, Head of Branded Impact Group, IMG
A global brand marketer, and social entrepreneur, Seth Matlins is EVP, and head of the Branded Impact Group at WME|IMG. Hired to start this new social impact marketing practice, Matlins works across the agency to make it easier for the world's biggest brands to do very well by doing good. Prior to joining WME I IMG, he founded That Was Then Enterprises, a social-enterprise and consultancy connecting big brands to social causes. He's also the creator of the Truth in Advertising Act (HR 4445), bi-partisan Congressional legislation and a grassroots movement working to protect children from the false expectations created by "photoshopped" ads of the human body. Previously, he was the founder of Feel More Better, a double-bottom line brand dedicated to making the world happier for women and girls. Before this, he was the Global Chief Marketing Officer for Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter and live entertainment company. In 2000, he started the Marketing Department at CAA, where he led client strategy, providing strategic and creative counsel to a portfolio of the world's most iconic brands. Before CAA, Seth was the first President of Rock the Vote, an NGO founded by members of the recording and entertainment industries. Previously he was SVP Marketing at ProServ, Inc, the international sports marketing, management and television company. He began his career in the CPG category, selling the world's most generic substance at a super-premium price for Evian.
Gloria Nevarez | Senior Associate Commissioner/Senior Woman Administrator, Pac-12
Gloria Nevarez was named the Pac-12's Senior Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator in April 2010. Nevarez is responsible for the administration of the Conference's Senior Woman Administrators and oversees all sports except football. She is the Pac-12 liaison for men's basketball and women's golf. Before joining the Pac-12, Nevarez spent the previous three years as Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Oklahoma, overseeing marketing, human resources, strength and conditioning and several sports include men's and women's basketball. She also served as the University's liaison for Title IX compliance and Big 12 governance issues. Nevarez is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts where she played basketball and is a University of California, Berkeley Law alumna.
Dave Newport | Director, Environmental Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder
Dave launched the first US college sports sustainability activation with corporate partnership for the Florida Gators when he was UF's Director of Sustainability in 2002. Later he became Director of the University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center and founded the nation's first comprehensive NCAA Division 1 sports sustainability program, Ralphie's Green Stampede. He has helped develop fan engagement partnerships with BASF, Pepsi, Wells Fargo, WhiteWave Foods, The Pantry, Eco-Products, and UPS etc aimed at influencing fans' behavior toward sustainability at home, work and play. Dave is also Secretary of the Green Sports Alliance Board of Directors, former Board Secretary of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an award winning publisher and editor, and a former elected county commission board chairman.
Monica Rowand | Program Manager, Ralphie's Green Stampede & President, Net Impact, University of Colorado Boulder
As the Sports Sustainability and Fan Engagement Team Leader for Ralphie's Green Stampede, the University of Colorado Boulder's sports sustainability program, Rowand uses fan engagement campaigns made possible by corporate partnerships to encourage behaviour change in the university's fan base. She has experience as a consultant for corporate sustainability strategy, reporting, and communications. Before joining CU's team, she designed and managed outreach and education programs at the non-profit organization Global Green USA. Rowand has an MBA in Sustainability from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Julia Rudnick | Coordinator, Campus Sustainability Programs, University of Arizona
Julia Rudnick is the Coordinator of Campus Sustainability Programs at the University of Arizona where she works to initiate and coordinate Sustainable UA programs. Julia helps garner support and buy-in from staff departments across campus including Athletics, Facilities Management, and Student Unions in addition to highly talented and energized student groups including Greening the Game, Compost Cats, Green Team, Green Purchasing Team, and ASUA's Students for Sustainability. Julia also provides administrative support for the UA Green Fund Committee, a group of 10 students who annually allocate $400,000 to sustainability projects that help to make the University of Arizona a better place to live, work, learn, and play. Bear Down Arizona!
Colin Tetreault | Senior Sustainability Scholar, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability and Chair, NCAA Final Four Sustainability Committee
Colin Tetreault is an accomplished sustainability business, policy, and senior scholar practitioner. He drives revenue & sparks innovation, mitigates & manages risk, and advances brands & causes. Colin serves as Principal for S2 Consulting, LLC, an innovation-driven sustainability and management consulting firm. Colin is charged with enabling organizational structure, culture, and operations to be more profitable and sustainability minded through business acumen and scientific rigor. Select clients include PetSmart, Intel, Starbucks, Competitor Group, various cities and SME private businesses. His efforts impact all levels of systems from employees and managers to suppliers and customers. Colin has served as the Senior Policy Advisor of Sustainability to Mayor Stanton of Phoenix, Arizona; the highest appointed sustainability position in the state of Arizona. Colin oversaw the development and recommendation of business solutions and policy germane to sustainability over the 520 mile2, 1.5 million person population of the City of Phoenix. ▼
Acting with a city and regional emphasis, Colin advanced Phoenix's future by: creating robust and resilient economic opportunity for all; protecting and expanding environmental and natural systems while looking to them for use-inspired solutions; fostering and growing a beautiful, vibrant, pluralistic and socially just culture. Colin holds a Master of Arts from Arizona State University's School of Sustainability, the first program of its kind in the United States. Colin holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He has studied international business and development at the Baltic Business School while living and consulting for international companies, in Sweden.
Judi Weiss | Senior Operations Producer, ESPN College GameDay
Judi Weiss is the Senior Remote Operations Producer for ESPN Remote Operations. Judi oversees the on-site operations for the NBA regular season Sunday Showcase Game. Weiss is a contributing Operations Producer for ESPN during the NBA post season and the Senior Operations Producer for the Emmy Award winning weekly College GameDay Football Studio show during the fall. Her extensive background stems in domestic and international remote broadcast planning, operations and development. In 1998, Weiss joined ESPN as a Freelance Production Manager working closely with ABC Sports. For a ten year span, Weiss co-production managed the broadcast operations for both US and International Figure Skating which aired on ABC and ESPN. Starting in 1994, prior to her joining ESPN, Weiss had production management experience working for TNT on NBA, Figure Skating and the Goodwill Games (1994, 1998, 2000) as well as the Summer and Winter Olympic Games for the contracted IOC Host Broadcaster. Since joining the ESPN College GameDay team in 2011, the studio show has won three consecutive Emmy Awards (2013-2015), and is currently nominated for the 2016 season. ▼
Weiss graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1989 with a major in Liberal Arts, focusing on Film and Russian Studies. She also attended the Pedagogical Institute in Volgograd, Russia where she received her certification in Russian Studies during the summer of 1992. Annually she returns to Volgograd, Russia with her husband and daughter to visit friends and family. Currently she is an active member of Kiwanis International the North Miami Beach-Sunny Isles Chapter.
Katie Zeller | Sustainability Coordinator, Recreation and Sports Venues , University of California, Los Angeles
As Sustainability Coordinator for UCLA Recreation Sports Venues and Event Operations, Katie is responsible for developing and implementing sustainability initiatives throughout UCLA Recreation, which is comprised of fourteen different athletic facilities that offer a broad range of activities and services, as well as numerous multi-use options for student and university events. Her main focuses include zero waste, energy efficiency, and green event operations. Katie is excited by the opportunities found in the unique intersection between sports and sustainability, and especially enjoys working within student affairs on a university campus. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's degree in Geography/Environmental Studies and a minor in Environmental Systems and Society. She got her start in sports sustainability as a student while working on zero waste efforts at UCLA's indoor arena, Pauley Pavilion.