SPORTS EVENT SYMPOSIUM FEATURED SPEAKERS
 |
Paul Erickson, Executive Director, Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission
Paul D. Erickson has served as Executive Director of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) from 1987 to present. During his tenure, the MASC has developed 12 major amateur sport facilities and hosted over 100 national and international championships in Minnesota.
Erickson lead the efforts to create the world’s largest soccer complex – the National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.; the world’s largest ice arena, the Schwan Super Rink; the largest youth sport event in North America, Schwan’s USA CUP, as well as other amateur sport events, programs and facilities.
Erickson also led two arctic cross-country ski expeditions. In 1980, he was the leader of an eight-person expedition, all Minnesotans, who skied 440 miles in 36 days across the Greenland Ice Cap. The expedition was featured on “ABC’s Wild World of Sports” and “Good Morning America.” In 1982, Erickson led an eight-member ski expedition across the arctic Lapland of Norway. This expedition included two blind skiers. The group skied 500 miles in 40 days, and demonstrated the skills of the disabled.
Erickson is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and a graduate student at Mankato State University.
 |
Barclay Kruse, Chief Communications Officer, Minnesota Amatuer Sports Commission
Barclay Kruse is the Chief Communications Officer for the National Sports Center and Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. Kruse manages media relations for the NSC and its major events, such as Schwan’s USA CUP and Schwan Cup. Kruse is responsible for leading the NSC’s team implementing new media and marketing strategies such as photos, audio interviews, video productions, online articles, and blogs.
Kruse has also directed press operations for several World Cup and World Championship speedskating events and three Olympic cycling trials.
 |
Steve Olson, Chief Operating Officer, National Sports Center Foundation
Steve Olson is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Sports Center Foundation. Previously he served as Executive Director of Minnesota Youth Soccer and Associate Director of Athletics/Recreational Sports at the University of Michigan.
Steve has been an active soccer official since 1973 rising to the level of National Referee in 1983 and to the FIFA Panel of International Assistant Referees in 1992. During his tenure as an official he was assigned to qualifying games for the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, the qualifying games of the 1996 Olympics. He was a member of the officiating crew for the 1996 and 1997 MLS Cups. Upon his retirement in 1998, he was elected to the US Soccer National Board of Directors as the Referee Director. In 2000 he was made a life member of US Soccer for his contributions to the referee program. He currently serves US Soccer as a National Assessor and National Instructor and is one of only twenty MLS Observers. In May of 2007 he became one of eight people appointed to the newly created position of Supervisor of National Assessors.
 |
Teri Vogt, Schwan’s USA CUP Tournament Director/Land Sports Director
Teri Vogt has worked on special events and programs at the National Sports Center since 1990. During her tenure at the NSC she has held several position including Media Relations, Sponsorship Sales, and Event Director for the NSC’s largest event – USA CUP Youth Soccer Tournament. Currently Vogt oversees a department that produces events and programs in Soccer, Rugby, Lacrosse, Football, Track and Field and Cycling.
From bid events, to home grown events, Vogt is involved in the execution of more than 15 events each year. Most notably, USA CUP, with 1,000 teams from 20 countries and 35 U.S. states is a massive undertaking of supplies, set up, and logistical challenges.
Vogt is a native of Minnesota. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in journalism. She has one son, Paul, age 12, who keeps her busy when she is not working on events.
 |
John Connelly, Director of Sales and Development
His primary responsibilities include:
» Creation of sponsorships for NSC venues and events
» Promoting the NSC venues for biddable events
» Sales and marketing of the Schwan Event Center on campus
With over 20 years of experience in the sports tourism industry, John has been involved in amateur and professional sports events. During those years, he served in leadership roles for the following Convention and Visitors Bureaus in Madison, Wisconsin, Rochester, Minnesota, and the north metro Twin Cities including Blaine.
In regards to ice events, John has seen the first hand how events are bid for and secured. Events like International Skating Institute, USA Hockey tourneys, and the North American Broomball Championships are in his resume. He was also the lead for hospitality when the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission hosted the Women’s World Championships.
John has knowledge of economic impact that sports venues in addition to the secondary benefits building provide. He has relationships with the Explore Minnesota Tourism, National Association of Sports Commissions, and Travel Industry of America.
His education background focused on association management and community development. He is a graduate of UW – Eau Claire in Political Science and is a certified association executive (CAE).
John still plays hockey for fun.
 |
Roger Stawski, NSC Chief Financial Officer
Roger is the Chief Financial Officer of the National Sports Center. His education background focused on business administration. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a master of Business Administration. He also studied at Mankato State University, Minnesota where he got a bachelor of science in Business Administration.
Roger Stawski has knowledge in consulting as he worked for Stawski Entreprises as a Business Consultant. He was the Financial Analyst of Eli Lilly – Cardiac Pacemakers as well.
 |
Neil Ladd, Director of Golf, Turf and Maintenance
Neil Ladd is the Director of Golf, Turf and Maintenance of the National Sports Center. He is a graduate of Iowa State University (1997).
He has eleven years of history with the NSC in golf course design, constructions, programming and operations.
 |
Pete Carlson, Director of Ice Arena Operations
Pete Carlson is the director of Ice Arena Operations at the National Sports Center.
Pete is a graduate of Winona State University, MN. He started playing Hockey in High School and has therefore a long experience in this sport. He started coaching hockey teams in 1987 (mainly High School teams). Between 1993 and 1994, he was the Head High School Hockey coach of Annandale Senior High School (MN).
Since 1997, he is the Director of Ice Arena Operations, but also the Director of Hockey Development.
 |
Greg Hutton, Media specialist
Greg Hutton is the media specialist at the National Sports Center after interning with the organization during the summer of 2007. Greg is responsible for institutionalizing the NSC’s video production department while also handling traditional media operations.
A recent graduate of Slippery Rock University (Pa.), where he was also a member of the men’s soccer team, Greg is scheduled to receive a master of education degree in applied kinesiology/sport management from the University of Minnesota in August.
 |
Taylor Kruse, Video Producer, National Sports Center
Taylor Kruse just finished his junior year at the University of Akron, in Akron, Ohio, where he is majoring in E-marketing and photography. As a summer intern for the past four years, Kruse has been instrumental in leading the NSC innovation team exploring new web-based technologies, including audio interviews, increased use of photographs on the NSC website, and in the last year, video production and webcasting. In 2007, Kruse was the co-producer for the inaugural season of Kick TV, the daily video journal of Schwan’s USA CUP. In the summer of 2008, Kruse will return to the NSC media staff, this time to head up the production team that will film the new Schwan’s USA CUP promotional DVD. Kruse’s responsibilities will include scriptwriting, interviewing, filming segments, sound and video editing and post-production.
