Tag: Sport Oregon

Damian Williams
Photo: Timothy D. Sofranko, Linfield University

Sport Oregon Announces Passing of Damian Williams

Sport Oregon has announced that Damian Williams, the organization’s former sports tourism services manager, passed away on June 12 after a battle with cancer. Williams worked with Sport Oregon from July 2021 to June 2022, helping the state return to live events following the pandemic and contributing to the development of the new sports tourism […]

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Sports ETA 2024

Portland’s She Flies Initiative Showcased at Sports ETA Symposium

In December 2022, the She Flies Gala was created as an annual fundraiser to help fund the She Flies initiatives and now, Sport Oregon has seen its growth mirror that of women’s sports across the country. The session “Creating Inclusive Communities Through Sports” at this week’s Sports ETA Annual Symposium in Portland focused on the […]

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Jim Etzel

Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel Named One of Portland’s Executives of the Year

Sport Oregon Chief Executive Officer Jim Etzel has been named one of Portland’s Executives of the Year by the Portland Business Journal. The award-winning executives were recognized at a luncheon at the Sentinel hotel in downtown Portland on April 18. Etzel was named the chief executive officer of Sport Oregon on January 1, 2018. During […]

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Caitlin Clark
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark celebrates after an overtime win against Nebraska in the final of the Big Ten women's tournament on March 10, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

2024 NCAA Tournament: How Host Cities Benefit From March Madness

The NCAA Tournament is what makes March mad, with its history of upsets and moments captured and shared throughout the country with both men’s and women’s play turning weekends into long weekends that turn busy offices into quiet, lonely spots with everybody instead watching on their phone or with friends. The time frame from Selection […]

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Matt Reed

Matt Reed Promoted to COO of Sport Oregon

Sport Oregon has announced the promotion of Matt Reed to chief operating officer for the organization. Previously serving as Sport Oregon’s director of sports tourism after joining the organization in January 2020, Reed has led Sport Oregon’s bid process for hosted events and has managed key relationships throughout the state to support those events. In […]

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SportOregon

Sport Oregon Names Maika Janat-Vennemann as Chief Operating Officer

Sport Oregon today announced that Maika Janat–Vennemann has been promoted to chief operating officer for the organization. Janat-Vennemann previously served as senior director and general manager since joining the organization in 2019. Janat-Vennemann currently serves as a founding member of the board of directors for Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Portland, a leading voice […]

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Sport Oregon

Sport Oregon Foundation Launches Women’s Sports Initiative

Sport Oregon is launching a new foundation initiative, SHE FLIES, to foster safe community spaces where girls and women have equitable opportunities and are greater empowered to use sports to realize the benefits of participation. The initiative will kick off with a virtual event on April 29 with a panel discussion with female athletes from […]

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Sport Oregon

Oregon Sports Authority Rebrands to Sport Oregon

The Oregon Sports Authority has rebranded itself as Sport Oregon, offering a new identity to the state’s sports economic development nonprofit. The move was made in an effort to accelerate efforts to attract more high-level sports events to the state. “We are excited to reposition the organization both locally and nationally to better reflect Portland […]

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