Janis Burke — President
CEO, Houston Sports Authority
In 2006, Janis Burke, CEO of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority became the third chief executive and first woman to hold the position since the inception of the organization in 1997. The entity was named Sports Commission of the Year by the 800+ member National Association of Sports Commissions in 2014 and 2017.
In addition to overseeing the billion dollars of bond debt service for Houston’s premiere, professional sports stadiums, under her leadership, Houston has been awarded major sporting events to include: Olympic Trials, numerous National and World Championships, AAU Junior Olympics, All Star Games, Transplant Games of America, and a variety of collegiate events.
Burke has been recognized locally by Conference USA and Rice University for her outstanding contributions and achievements as a woman in the Houston sports industry, identified as a Houston “Woman on the Move,” named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women,” and in 2015 received the Industry Impact Award from Sam Houston State University, Community Impact Award from the World Youth Foundation, and the Impact Performer Award by the Greater Houston Prep Academy.
Gretchen Sheirr — Vice President & Chair, Signature Events Committee
Chief Revenue Officer, Houston Rockets
Gretchen Sheirr is entering her 18th season with the Houston Rockets. As Chief Revenue Officer, Sheirr’s duties include the development of creative sales strategies and service practices for customer retention and new business generation, supervision of the corporate partner division, suite sales and activation, ticket sales and service, strategic planning, and box office teams, as well as the integration of all revenue generating events and promotions. She is also a member of the Senior Management Team.
A native of Spring, Texas, Sheirr graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a degree in marketing. She also was a four-year letter-winner as a diver for LSU. Gretchen also currently serves on the board of Target Hunger and is a member of the Executive Women’s Partnership. She and her husband, Ken, live in The Woodlands with their twins, Zachary and Jordan.
Carrie Potter — Past President & Treasurer
Owner, The Carrie Potter Group, LLC
Carrie Potter provides business consulting and financial planning services to professional athletes and small businesses. Potter advises her clients on business strategy and financial, estate and investment management. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP) professional and Registered Investment Advisor. Prior to the launch of her own business in 2006, she was Vice President at PMG Sports in Washington DC, where she worked from 1999-2006.
Potter serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the Houston Area Women’s Center Board of Directors; President of Women in Sports & Events (WISE) Houston; and President-Elect of Texas Executive Women. Earning her B.B.A. and M.B.A. from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Carrie serves on the Executive Committee of the School of Business Board of Advisors and chairs the Committee on Student Experience. She was named a 2016 Women on the Move by Texas Executive Women, a part of the Houston Business Journal’s 2017 40 Under 40 class, and honored as a STEAM Role Model by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce in 2018.
When not serving clients or the community, Potter enjoys spending time outdoors with her golden doodle Penny, playing golf, and visiting facilities around Houston with Faithful Paws Pet Therapy and Believe in Dog Therapy.
Jennifer Davenport — Secretary
Vice President, Houston Texans
Jennifer Davenport joined the Houston Texans in December 2010. Davenport’s primary responsibilities are to administer and monitor usage of the Texans’ brand and all related advertising, creative and design work. She also oversees all gameday entertainment, community development, the Houston Texans Foundation, youth football initiatives, targeted fan development, regional brand growth and broadcast partnerships, and merchandise sales.
Since joining the Texans, Davenport has helped the organization earn AMA Houston Marketer of the Year (2014), a PROMAXBDA Sports Media Marketing Gold Award for Best Just Cause Campaign (2013), the National Sports Forum ADchievement Award for Best Social/Mobile Media Promotion (2013), a Telly Award for “Houston Texans Primero y Diez” (2013) and more.
Davenport came to the Texans from the NBA’s Houston Rockets and Toyota Center, where she served as Marketing Manager from May 2006-November 2010. With the Rockets, Davenport oversaw Houston Rockets advertising, grassroots promotions, fan development and non-sports publicity, as well as all aspects of marketing for third party events and concerts at Toyota Center. Prior to working at the Houston Rockets, Davenport was the Marketing Director for 96.7 KISS FM (KHFI) and AM 1300 The Zone (KVET AM) at Clear Channel Radio in Austin, Texas.
Davenport is also a member of the YMCA of Greater Houston Board of Directors, a lead executive for the Super Bowl LI Host Committee, a graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future Leadership Forum, and a member of the Discovery Green Conservancy Marketing Committee.
A native of Crosby, Texas, Davenport graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University. She resides in Houston with her husband, John Dabkowski.
Diane Freeman — Chair, Membership
Senior Sales Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Houston
Diane’s hospitality career began in the windy city of Chicago before making Houston Her home. She has been in the hospitality industry for 30 years with 20 of those years working with sports and entertainment groups for the Four Seasons Hotel.
As a graduate of Illinois Valley Community College and Illinois State University, Diane played both Volleyball and Basketball, while graduating with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing.
Having worked in the industry for so many years, she has built lasting relationships with many top entertainers known around the world. Her knowledge has made her a leader in the hospitality industry and a mentor in her own hotel where she loves helping develop the next generation of hoteliers.
In her spare time, you can find her volunteering at her church or lounging by the pool and loving her amazing dog named Ziggy.
Leah Mastaglio — Chair, WISE Within Mentoring Program
Assistant General Manager at NRG Park
Leah Mastaglio is currently the Assistant General Manager at NRG Park. Mastaglio’s day-to-day responsibilities included overseeing the Event and Guest Services, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Technical Services, Parking and Security departments.
Mastaglio has been with NRG Park since the property opened in 2002. She has worked in the Event Services and Sports Marketing and Sponsorship departments before being promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2014. Mastaglio has over 15+ years of tradeshow and facility management experience.
Leah Mastaglio has served as the Tournament Manager for the 2008, 2010, 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. For the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four Leah was the chairperson of the Stadium Operations Committee for the event. In 2010 – 2013, Leah assisted the NCAA Staff with managing the Men’s Final Four Championship by being a member of their Facility Management Group. Leah has assisted in the management of Super Bowl XXXVIII, held at Reliant Park, Super Bowl XLVIII held at MetLife Stadium, Super Bowl XLIX held at University of Phoenix Stadium, Super Bowl 50 held at Levi’s Stadium and Super Bowl LII held at US Bank Stadium. Leah served as the NFL contact for Stadium operations for Houston’s 2017 Super Bowl LI. Other events Leah has managed include two Big XII Football Championships, international soccer matches, several large-scale stadium concerts, Offshore Technology Conference, the largest offshore drilling conference in the world, four years of the Grand Prix of Houston and many other events.
Leah has assisted other properties with projects such as opening the American Bank Center in Corpus Christie, US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, assisting with facility management for Oakland Coliseum, Solider Field, Louisiana Superdome and University of Phoenix Stadium.
Leah Mastaglio has served on the Houston Mayor’s Office Commission for People with Disabilities for four years. She is a member of International Association of Venue Managers, WISE Women in Sports and Events, and has also completed a two-year study of the International Association of Venue Managers’, Venue Management School.
Muffy King — Chair, Member Engagement & Communications
Director of Marketing, Media & Brand, Houston Marathon Committee
Muffy King is the Director of Marketing, Media & Brand for the Houston Marathon Committee. She leads the marketing and business development team that is responsible for effective engagement between participants, sponsors and community relations.
Prior to her current role she gained valuable experience through communications, marketing and event roles with Fortune 500 companies in the oil and gas and technology industries.
She completed two bachelors at Michigan State University where she was a member of women’s water polo team winning 4 Big Ten titles and one national championship. She went on to receive a Master’s in Mass Media Communication from the University of Colorado Boulder where her love of endurance sport began.
In her spare time, Muffy volunteers for organizations that enable athletes with disabilities to take part in race events and is a member of several local running and triathlon clubs. She is a four-time Ironman distance triathlon finisher and has completed numerous road running races of all distances.
Lisa Gagnon — Director at Large
Senior Director, Marketing, PR and Presentations, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Lisa Gagnon is the senior director of marketing, PR and presentations for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In her position, she oversees all marketing efforts for the Rodeo, including brand, advertising, public relations, communications, and broadcast.
Prior to her role at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Lisa was vice president of marketing at the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, overseeing all brand and marketing activities for the Host Committee, including Super Bowl LIVE, the ten-day fan festival. Lisa also served as the director of brand for Waste Management. During her seven-year tenure with Waste Management, she managed the company’s corporate brand, advertising and sports sponsorship including the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Prior to WM, Lisa worked at Johnson & Johnson where she was on the Tylenol brand focused on new product development and sports sponsorships, most notably their NASCAR sponsorship.
Lisa received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Nina Jackson — Director at Large
Regional Director of Marketing & Public Relations, SMG
Nina Jackson was named the Regional Director of Marketing for SMG’s Midwest region, conjoined with her current position as Director of Marketing & Public Relations at NRG Park – home to the NFL’s Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™.
In her this role, Jackson provides extra support in the ongoing marketing, public relations, media buying and sponsorship efforts and development for SMG venues in the Midwest region, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas.
Jackson has been with SMG for 25 years and during her tenure, she has been instrumental in securing some of the biggest sporting events in the country for NRG Park including the Big 12 Conference Football Championship (2002 and 2005), Super Bowl (XXXVIII and LI), NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship South Regionals (2008, 2010 and 2015), and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Final Four (2011 and 2016).
Jackson is a native of Houston, Texas and a graduate of Sam Houston State University, where she received her bachelor of business arts in accounting.
Tamara Lupo — Director at Large
Chief Operating Officer, Professional Sports Partners
As the quarterback of PSP, Tamara is at her best when the game is on the line. Keeping clients’ goals and objectives at the forefront of planning, Tamara is the first to ask “What does success look like?” and then calls the play for her team to score the winning touchdown.
Tamara leads the team at PSP to over-deliver for clients, challenging them all to re-think the status quo and push the boundaries for brands beyond their expectations. Having been with PSP since its launch, Tamara is a key leader on the executive team in shaping the trajectory of the agency.
PSP has a strong roster of clients across the country, including BBVA, American Cancer Society, 76, Mattress Firm, Toyota, and Protective Life Corporation. Additionally, PSP is coming off a successful four-year run with mega events including Super Bowl LI and the NCAA Men’s Final Four Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio. The sales consulting arm of PSP develops partnerships on behalf of properties, including the naming rights to CHI Health Center in Omaha, the Alumni Association at Texas State University, Houston’s World Cup Bid Committee, Creighton University, and more.
Prior to moving to the agency side of sports business, Tamara spent her career on the team side. With experience in minor league hockey and a touch of the NFL, Tamara worked with the NBA’s Houston Rockets for nine seasons, first in marketing/branding/promotions and later in corporate partner development and activation.
A proud Longhorn, Tamara earned her BBA in Marketing from The University of Texas.
Katie Scallan — Director at Large
Chief Marketing Officer, Houston Dynamo | Houston Dash | BBVA Stadium
Katie Scallan joined the Houston Dynamo and Dash in July 2019 as the club’s Chief Marketing Officer.
In her role, Scallan oversees the branding, marketing, advertising, communications and broadcast efforts for the Dynamo and Dash as well as for events at BBVA Stadium. She brings more than 20 years of experience in sports and entertainment marketing, including experience in Major League Soccer and in the Houston sports and business community.
Scallan joined the club after spending the previous 16 years in a variety of roles with The Friedkin Group, a privately-held consortium of automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure companies. Her most recent role was as the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, in which she was responsible for all marketing, corporate branding, communications and events for The Friedkin Group and its portfolio of companies.
During her tenure with The Friedkin Group, Scallan oversaw brand development and management, sponsorships and marketing partnerships, digital marketing, experiential marketing, event presentation, broadcast production, broadcasting rights negotiation and crisis communications. She also led the Group’s rebranding effort, which included the creation of a new logo and brand image, as well as a brand-new digital platform that showcased all of the Group’s investments.
Prior to joining The Friedkin Group’s executive office, Scallan spent several years with Gulf States Toyota, a part of The Friedkin Group and one of the world’s largest independent distributors of Toyota vehicles and parts. She launched the SCION brand for Toyota and successfully launched Toyota’s entry into sports marketing. She successfully negotiated naming rights agreements on behalf of Gulf States Toyota with the NBA’s Houston Rockets (Toyota Center), Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas (Toyota Stadium) and the USL Championship’s San Antonio FC (Toyota Field). She also led experiential marketing and special events for Toyota’s partnerships throughout the region, including Texas Parks & Wildlife, the University of Texas, the University of Arkansas, the Texas Rangers and San Antonio’s annual Fiesta celebration, among others.
Scallan launched her career in sports marketing in 1997 as an account executive with the then-Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer, which was in its second season. She then spent five years working for Dallas-based advertising agencies before joining Gulf States Toyota in 2003 to oversee the launch of the SCION brand in collaboration with the manufacturer’s North American and Japanese headquarters.
An alumna of Baylor University, Scallan serves as a board member for the Center of Sports Strategy & Sales for the Hankamer School of Business at her alma mater. She also sits on the Marketing Advisory Committee for Austin Community College as well as serves as a board member for WISE Houston (Women in Sports & Events). Additionally, she has provided marketing and public relations assistance to the Chance for Hope Foundation, which provides housing and meals to families of children undergoing inpatient pediatric cancer treatment. She has also held committee chair positions for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Texas Bass Classic Foundation.
She continued her education by participating in the Executive Education Program at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business in 2013.
Anita Sehgal –Director at Large
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Houston Astros
Anita Sehgal joined the Astros as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications in January 2015. In her role, Anita provides strategic leadership for the ballclub’s advertising, marketing, communications, broadcasting and alumni relations, including support for a broad variety of sponsorship, ticket, special event and community initiatives.
Prior to joining the Houston organization, Anita spent over 20 years in various strategic marketing functions with organizations including FGL Sports, Best Buy and most recently Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Hailing from Canada’s Regina, Saskatchewan, Anita received a bachelor’s of business administration degree, with a focus in marketing and human resources, from the University of Regina. She plays an active role in several Houston-based organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston, TDECU and WISE Houston. She is also an active member of Brand 50 and World 50. In 2016, Anita was honored as one of Houston’s Top 15 Business Women by the National Diversity Council.