Lance T. Brown becomes sports commissioner

After operating for more than a year without a paid staff, the Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission and Foundation has hired an executive director.

Lance T. Brown, formerly executive director of the Urban District Alliance, will begin his new role July 1. Brown takes the place of Bill Hobbs, who was acting director since the commission's inception in August 1999.

"It just got so demanding," Hobbs said of his volunteer duties. "It was time for a paid position, and the board agreed to do that a few months ago."

Seven members of the Sports Commission Board formed a search committee that began looking in early January. The search committee was headed by Ozark Empire Fairgrounds General Manager Marla Calico, and members were John Twitty of City Utilities, Tracy Kimberlin of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dr. David Stair of Evangel University, Tom Mast of Big Sports Magazine, Park Board Executive Director Dan Kinney and Hobbs, the assistant parks director.

Calico said that a list of four candidates was narrowed to two before the decision was made on Brown. She said he was their choice because of his enthusiasm for and knowledge about Springfield. Also, his sales experience, love of sports and a large local contact base were factors.

"He is probably one of the most energetic supporters of Springfield that I've ever met," she said of Brown. "We're very excited about Lance coming on board. I think he's going to do an excellent job for us."

Brown's experience includes work with the UDA from 1998 to 2000, and several years in the realty business. His previous job was with J.T. Brown Realty, his father's company.

"Although (realty) has been a great livelihood for my family ... it no longer stirred my blood, and the passion wasn't there for the business like it once was," Brown said of his transition.

"My wife said that the happiest she ever saw me was when I was at UDA ... and doing things for Springfield. That's when I decided to seek opportunities that would help the betterment of Springfield," he added.

Brown said while neither his salary nor office space have been determined, he does know his initial emphasis will be creating awareness of the Sports Commission.

"Anytime you start a new organization there are a lot of growing pains," Calico said, "one of the first challenges is going to be building the organization, letting people know about the Sports Commission: who we are ... and what we're trying to accomplish."

Brown agreed, and feels the UDA has prepared him for that, too.

"It's real ironic, because much like UDA (when he first started) people ask, what is the Sports Commission?' it's almost like a deja vu," he said.

He said the first 12 months are going to be an educational period to get the name recognized.

Other duties will include implementing membership drives, creating relationships with local host organizations, reviewing what sporting events Springfield can accommodate and then bidding on events.

Ultimately, Kinney said, the commis-sion's job is "to promote, to market, to sell our city. The Sports Commission is one of those visible agencies that helps promote sports of all kinds and for all areas," he added. "

To bring (Brown) on board now at this time it's exciting. With minor league (hockey and baseball) around the corner, he's coming on at a real good time."

Brown also sees this as an opportune time for the city.

"It's a great time to be affiliated with the Sports Commission because you have the venues that are literally coming up out of the ground," Brown added. "I'm really excited about it."

In its one-year existence, the Sports Commission has assisted in landing state high school tennis and golf championships, NAIA softball events and NCAA Division II tennis and soccer events, Hobbs said. It also created, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, a revised sports facility guide displaying the venues available in Springfield.

Hobbs said that about 25 percent of the commission is funded by the hotel/motel tax, another portion by the city and the balance of support will come from memberships, sponsorships, advertising and events.

The goal is to have a membership base of people supporting the activities, Calico added, including volunteers and sponsors "willing to help us bring major sporting events here. We're trying to identify and bring here those events that have an economic impact," she added.

Both Hobbs and Brown said the commission is working on getting a U.S. Olympic Committee site designation for the city.

Also in the year ahead, it will secure more high school championship events, college events, national tournaments for the Springfield tennis and softball associations and develop junior and minor league hockey and baseball programs.

"Sports Commissions are very big business in other communities," Brown said.

Brown said when he was with the UDA, he traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo. with City Council and other city leaders to observe their sports commission. "The idea for a Sports Commission partly came from the Colorado Springs visit, because the hotel/motel tax had passed and we knew we would be getting facilities, so we started looking at how we could take this to the next level."