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2018 Harold VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award
March 22, 2018
The Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst is proud to announce the winners of the Harold VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award as Collee
Since 1993, this prestigious award has been given to a graduate that exemplifies professional excellence, outstanding achievement in the sports industry and dedication to the McCormack Department of Sport Management.
Associate Department Chair Steve McKelvey will present the Alumni on the Rise Awards during the annual McCormack Sport Management Awards Banquet held in the Campus Center on Tuesday, April 10th, 2018.
Colleen Duffy Brace is the Senior Vice President for Venue Services at ANC where she is responsible for overseeing client relationships while monetizing the company’s services, including game day operations, content consulting, graphic design and equipment management. Colleen’s Venue Services division has more than 20 employees handling more than 100 ongoing client relationships. Since joining ANC in 1999, Colleen has played an instrumental part of the company’s growth while holding various leadership roles within the organization.
Colleen started her career on the team and league levels working with the Philadelphia Eagles and the NBA league office. She has over 20 years of experience in sports and more than 15 years in technology.
David Hixon just finished his 41st season as Head Men’s Basketball Coach for Amherst College. In 2007 and 2013 Hixon led the team to National Championships. The three-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Northeast Region Coach of the Year and two-time NABC National Coach of the Year has molded the Amherst men’s basketball program into one of the best in the nation.
With an 801-288 overall record, Hixon’s .736 winning percentage is the fifth highest in NCAA DIII men’s basketball history, while his 801 wins are third most all-time among DIII coaches and 22nd among coaches in all divisions. In 2007 and 2013 Hixon led the team to National Championships.
Jeff Goering joined the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and currently oversees the finance, human resources and information technology departments as their Senior Vice President / Chief Financial Officer. He also serves as the primary financial liaison on the team’s insurance and risk management matters, stadium operational issues, and various matters involving the Maryland Stadium Authority, stadium contractors and event promoters.
Prior to his employment with the Ravens, Jeff worked as a senior consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Sports, Convention and Leisure Practice in Dallas. During that time, he worked with many sports entities, preparing financial feasibility studies, market assessments and economic impact analyses for proposed new or expanded sports venues.
Bob Schwartz is the Vice President of Marketing for Spectra by Comcast Spectacor. In this role Bob oversees the development and management of over 120 marketers. He has over 30 years of experience and has led the marketing effort at several venues from the Los Angeles Coliseum and Sports Arena to the London Arena, UK and has managed, coached and developed marketers from Philadelphia, PA to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Bob was awarded the Comcast Spectacor Excellence Leadership Award 2017, was an Ed Snider Award nominee in 2018 and was the honoree recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma award 2015. He completed his MS in Organization Dynamics in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been an adjunct professor at Widener University for 18 years and will be an Executive in Residence at Widener University beginning the fall of 2018.