Florida Sports Foundation Promotes Joe Piotrowski, Hires Millie Osguthorpe

The Florida Sports Foundation’s evolution is continuing with the promotion of one longtime industry veteran and the hire of a young professional from across the country.

Joe Piotrowski has been promoted to vice president of sports development of the Florida Sports Foundation and Millie Osguthorpe, the director of sales for Visit Ogden, will join the Foundation as director of sports development.

The moves come after Chief Executive Officer Angela Suggs’ hiring as athletic director at Florida A&M University, where she went to college. Liese Abili, the previous vice president of sports development at the bureau, also left this year. The board of directors is searching for a full-time president and chief executive officer.

“I’m so excited to have Millie join this team,” said Piotrowski, who was the director of sports development before his internal promotion. “I’m handing over to somebody who’s obviously extremely capable and has proven herself in other roles and I know she’ll step in and do it right.”

The Florida Sports Foundation advocates for the state’s sports industry, which generates over $70 billion in estimated economic impact. Karissa Pendleton is also part of the organization as sports development grants manager.

“When you talk to Joe about Florida, there’s such passion there,” Osguthorpe said. “It’s where the world comes to play. To be a part of that is really special and hopefully elevate it with the work that Joe and Chris are doing is an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”

For Osguthorpe, who is born and raised in Ogden, the ability to focus solely on the sports market was an opportunity “to really lean into what I’m most passionate about and to work with the partners across the state, it’s amazing what everyone’s doing throughout all of Florida.

“We’re here to be a support to our partners,” Osguthorpe continued. “Coming from Visit Ogden with that Rocky Mount Collective that we had and bringing that to conception, it’s how do we continue to do what Florida is doing and elevate it and bring new ideas to really high levels. I think there’s so much opportunity in Florida and I’m excited to dive in with all the partners and stakeholders to see what they’re looking for and hopefully make great change and make an impact.”

This year’s Sports ETA State of the Industry Report reveals that sports-related travel provided $52.2 billion in direct economic impact in 2023 and that Florida led the country in activity in sports-related travel.

“We’re going to keep driving innovation,” Piotrowski said. “It’s in our DNA. It’s what drives us and motivates us … and if we don’t keep innovating, we don’t keep growing and building out new programs and flipping over every rock, then we’re not servicing our partners appropriately. And so I think bringing Millie really rounds out our team.”