BRandon Brown
President
Dr. Brandon Brown is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the School of Professional Studies at New York University. In addition to serving as a marketing consultant for several professional sport entities, Dr. Brown has spent a number years working with the New York Mets in Queens, New York. He has spent his professional and academic career concentrating on the Sports Management field. He received his PhD, MBA, and BS degrees at Texas A&M University, University of Central Florida, and Florida State University, respectively.
Khalid Ballouli
Past-president
Dr. Khalid Ballouli is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport & Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina. His research area centers on sport marketing and consumer behavior. Dr. Ballouli is a SMA Research Fellow and serves on the editorial board of Sport Marketing Quarterly. Dr. Ballouli is a 3-time alumnus of Texas A&M, where he played baseball as a D-I athlete. He spent six years in professional baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Lamar Reams
President Elect
Dr. Lamar Reams is the Department Chair and Robert H. Freeman Professor of Sports Administration at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He received his PhD in Sport Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. Reams’ research and scholarly interests focus on sport marketing, consumer behavior, and combat sports. He teaches courses in sport marketing, consulting, and leadership. Reams currently serves as an editorial board member for Sport Marketing Quarterly.
Jim Kadlecek
Executive Director
Dr. Kadlecek is Chair of the Department of Human Performance and Sport Business at the University of Mount Union, where he teaches sport sales, public relations, marketing of sport, and sport analytics. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Sport Marketing Association, as well as the Director of the Sport Sales Workshop and Job Fair. In addition to his scholarly activities and service, Jim works as a consultant for many sport organizations.
Nels popp
Assistant Director
Dr. Nels Popp is an Associate Professor in the UNC Sport Administration Program. Dr. Popp’s research interests include revenue generation for college athletic departments with a particular emphasis on sport ticket sales at the collegiate and professional sport levels. His work has been referenced by ESPN, Street and Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, and his research has been published in a variety of academic journals.
Elizabeth Gregg
VP of Academic Affairs
Dr. Liz Gregg is a Professor and Director of the Institute for Justice, Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity in the Department of Leadership, School Counseling, and Sport Management at UNF. Her research focuses on gender equity in sport, issues in intercollegiate athletics, and branding in sport. Dr. Gregg is a former Division-I women's golfer at the University of Evansville. She completed both her master's and PhD degrees at Indiana University.
Matthew Blaszka
VP of Student Affairs
Dr. Matt Blaszka is an Associate Professor at Indiana State University in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport. He is the graduate program coordinator and internship coordinator. Dr. Blaszka has a PhD in Sport Management from Indiana University, a master’s in Sport Administration from Georgia State University, and a bachelor’s in Sport Management from York College of Pennsylvania.
Matt DiFebo
VP of Industry relations
Matt DiFebo is an Assistant Professor of Practice and the Director of Sport Business at Stetson University. An expert in sport ticket sales, DiFebo launches his latest venture, FanSummit, LLC in 2019. Prior to that he founded and built IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions, a company responsible for generating over $350 million in ticket related revenue. DiFebo was also an Associate Athletics Director at the University of Central Florida, and has held sales positions with the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, and MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.
MelLisa davies
VP of Communications
Dr. Melissa Davies is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration at Ohio University. Previously, she spent five years teaching at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Davies graduated earned a Ph.D. in Sport Administration with a minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods from University of Northern Colorado. She completed her bachelors and masters in Sport Management at California University of Pennsylvania where she played golf.
Rebecca Achen
MEMBER AT LARGE
Dr. Rebecca Achen is a Visiting Assistant Professor of sport management at the Eberhardt Business School at the University of the Pacific. She has extensive experience in sport marketing and sales strategy, and she concentrates her research on relationship marketing and social media in professional sport.
Isabell Mills
MEMBER AT LARGE
Dr. Isabell Mills is an Associate Professor and Internship Coordinator at the University of Indianapolis. Prior to returning to her alma mater (UIndy), she served as program coordinator and Assistant Professor for sport management at Defiance College. She has a BS degree from the University of Indianapolis and earned a MS and PhD from Indiana University. Dr. Mills is a member of the Wasserman Collective Think Tank and her research focuses is sport and fitness brand management.