Meet The Advisory Board

Visit Frisco, Assistant Executive Director

Joshua Dill

Josh Dill is the Assistant Executive Director for Visit Frisco (Texas), where he oversees the sports, sales, services and research efforts of the DMO. For more than 16 years, he has used an entrepreneurial, data-driven approach to tourism and sporting events to conquer the unique challenges he has faced at each of the three destinations he has represented.

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Prior to joining Visit Frisco, Josh spent 3 ½ years developing the sports department for the Fort Worth CVB.  His sports tourism career began with Visit Lubbock & Lubbock Sports in 2008.

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Raconteurs, President and CEO

Matt Dunn

Raconteurs President and CEO, Matt Dunn, has taken a unique and rewarding path into the sports tourism industry, beginning with the British Olympic Camp in his native Florida, training and acclimating United Kingdom Olympic athletes to the climate rigors of the southeastern United States prior to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

He then served in progressive roles with the Gainesville Sports Commission, US Pro Cycling Tour, ESPN’s X Games, and Great Outdoor Games, global events for Red Bull, and held management positions for both the Capital One and Champs Sports Collegiate Bowl games.

Visit Sarasota, Director of Sports

Pete Harvey

Pete Harvey has served as the Director of Sports for Visit Sarasota County since 2022. Previously, Pete was with Visit Buffalo Niagara since 2007 and was integral in starting the Sports Commission. Pete has been involved in hosting a variety of events including the IIHF World Junior Championships, Empire State Games and the 2nd and 3rd rounds of NCAA Basketballs March Madness. Prior to moving to Buffalo Pete was in the resort and sports marketing arenas in Florida for almost 20 years.  

Maryland Sports, Executive Director

Terry Hasseltine

Terry Hasseltine is Executive Director of Maryland Sports. As an award-winning businessman and executive, he specializes in promoting tourism, transforming sporting associations and running bids to host sporting events at city, state and national level. As Executive Director of Maryland Sports, the organization has engaged in more than $2.5 billion in event recruitment activity and has produced more than $1.7 billion of direct spending on Maryland's economy. 

Prior to being President of the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 bid, Hasseltine brought events such as the 2013 and 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals to the state.

National Senior Games Association, President & CEO

Susan Hlavacek

Sue joined the NSGA team in October of 2013 as the Director of Events and Programs and today serves as the President & CEO. Her senior games experience began with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission as the Director of Sports for the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland. Sue also served as part of the Cleveland LOC for the 2007 Women’s Basketball Final Four Championship.

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Prior to the NSGA, Sue was a professional athlete, coach, educator and Director of Athletics for 15 years at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. 

Association of Chief Executives for Sport, CEO

Rick Mack

Since 2017, Rick has served as CEO of the Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES), which is a sports chief executives’ trade association focused on member networking, industry best practices and mutual support. Approximately 80% of the ACES members oversee sports under the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) umbrella.

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He served for 13 years as Sr. Director/Managing Director of Human Resources for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), where he was a member of the senior executive team. Within the Olympic & Paralympic Family, he also served as Executive Director of USA Archery.

Elite Tournaments, Senior Vice President of Business Operations

Elle Marks

Elle is the Sr. V.P. of Business Operations for Elite Tournaments. Overseeing the Business Development Department, Elle has expanded her role to include more one-on-one interaction with clients and events, oversight of all event cancellation insurance policies, & management of event budgets.

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A Baltimore native, Elle studied at Salisbury University in Maryland.  After graduating, Elle worked for a privately owned baseball facility in Delaware before transitioning into a role with the Wicomico County CVB in Salisbury, MD. There she worked as the Sports Marketing Representative  obtaining, retaining, and developing sports events.

VisitLEX, Director of Sports and Equine Sales

John Pohl

John has been at VisitLEX for the past 30 years. 

John served eight years on the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center Board of Directors and is a Maker’s Mark Bourbon Ambassador. 

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He has assisted in Lexington hosting the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, Breeders’ Cup World Horse Racing Championships, Road to the Horse World Colt Starting Championships, USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships and a myriad of NCAA Division 1 Championships.

John was inducted into the Bluegrass Ultimate Hall of Fame in 2017 and was recognized with the USA Track & Field Kentucky State Chapter President’s Award in 2019 for Outstanding Service to the organization. 

Chesterfield County, Executive Director of Sports, Visitation & Entertainment

J C Poma

J.C. has a passion for sports and the community. He’s a former college athlete who’s been involved in the Richmond (VA) Region’s sports scene for 15 years. J.C. serves as Chesterfield County's first executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment and is committed to improving the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. 

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Poma, who holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Georgetown University, began working for Richmond Region Tourism in 2016 as a sports development manager. He was promoted to director of sports relations in 2019, then assumed his current position in 2021.

Caesars Entertainment – Northern Nevada, Associate Director of Sales

Elek Sebestyen

Elek enjoys working with a team of sales professionals promoting and selling five resort properties including The Silver Legacy Resort, the Eldorado Resort Casino, Circus Circus (Reno), Harvey’s and Harrah’s (Lake Tahoe)

Elek has also served as the Director of Sports Sales & Marketing for the Reno-Based properties. With primary responsibility and focus on the Sports Market, he has spent his career developing the relationships and experience that benefit the sports organization, athletes and attendees of countless successful events.

USA Taekwondo, Managing Director

Christine Strong Simmons

Christine Strong Simmons currently serves as Managing Director at USA Taekwondo providing organizational oversight in the areas of Governance, Fundraising, Domestic and International Events as well as Member Services Programs. She has over twenty five years’ experience in sport management, project administration, budget development, contract negotiations, logistics, strategic planning, leadership, and mentoring.  Christine has prioritized building dynamic professional relationships, and developing long-term partnerships with CVBs, Cities and Sports Commissions.

Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitors Bureau, Business Development Director

Sean Walter

Sean is the Business Development Director for the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitors Bureau. Sean started his career at Walt Disney World where he held various positions in operations and sales. He also developed a customer service curriculum which he taught at The Disney University.

He later expanded his career in hospitality and tourism by working for the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau operating their convention center, 23- fields multipurpose sports complex and large event center for 12 years.