Five Questions: Andrea Porter

Q: What are your job duties in your new position?

A: My job includes planning and developing marketing programs to increase statewide awareness for both the Hall of Fame and (Price Cutter Charity Championship) through fund-raising events, speaking engagements to various businesses, clubs, schools and civic organizations, and assisting with Web site design and statewide marketing and public relations campaigns.

Q: How did you go from the Missouri Office on Aging to the Hall of Fame?

A: My public relations and fund-raising career began with the Office on Aging. I became its resource development director right out of college. I gained a passion for raising money for not-for-profit organizations and connecting people. The opportunity to build upon my experiences as the resource development director and the relationships made in the community while working at SWMOA, along with my love for sports, makes this position the perfect fit.

Q: What does the Hall of Fame have planned in the coming months to draw more visitors?

A: All the activities associated with both the Hall of Fame and the PCCC – sports celebrity autograph sessions, tickets to Hall of Fame sporting events and banquets, golf tournaments, and live and silent auctions – focus on generating additional attendance from across the state. In the coming months, the Hall of Fame will be hosting several events related to the PCCC, such as its 19th-hole parties on July 21 and July 22. And on July 17, the Hall will hold the Raising of the Wall for the Habitat for Humanity home that will be built during the week of the Price Cutter event.

Q: How important are sports in Springfield, and how significant is it to have the state’s Hall of Fame in Springfield?

A: Judging by the sporting facilities and sports-related organizations that are based in Springfield … it seems evident that sports play a vital, welcome role. It provides an avenue of community identity that promotes a spirit of positive growth for both young and old. Sports encourage intergenerational sharing and understanding and teach the importance of teamwork. I believe (having the Hall here) is very significant. Besides the economic impact it has on our community – drawing sports legends to fund-raising events – it increases tourism dollars and creates a focal point for the city. It has certainly fulfilled (Hall of Fame founder) John Q. Hammons’ vision for a unique attraction that sets us apart from other communities.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself – your family and your interests.

A: I was born and raised in Trenton, Missouri, a small farming community in North Central Missouri ... about four hours north of Springfield. Missouri State University brought me to Springfield in the fall of 1998, and it was then that I fell in love with the Ozarks. I enjoy reading John Grisham books, canoeing and camping, watching my favorite college football team, the (Oklahoma) Sooners.[[In-content Ad]]