SPEED and NASCAR have reached a multiyear agreement naming SPEED as the official television home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame recently added eight employees for the 150,000-square-foot interactive, entertainment attraction set to open May 11, 2010 in Charlotte, N.C.
“We are less than 100 days away from our opening, and building the right team truly is one of the most important factors in ensuring an exceptional and meaningful guest experience,” said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “We are fortunate to have had an overwhelming number of talented people interested in working at this world-class venue. Each team member was selected from several hundred applications per position. The competitive nature has allowed us to assemble a talented team of professionals who bring extensive experience from all types of family entertainment.”
The additions to the external relations and education department are: Imani Clenance, intern; Joelle Lapsley, administrative assistant; and Natividad Lewis, external relations specialist. All report directly to External Relations Manager Kimberly Meesters.
The additions to the operations department are: Cathy Buchhofer, assistant operations manager; Chris Manley, A/V technical supervisor; and Jonathan Mitchell, box office manager. All report directly to Operations Manager Steve Burrell. Also, Seth Denton joined the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority as the NASCAR Hall of Fame business manager. He works closely with the NASCAR Hall of Fame operations department and reports to Steve Bagwell, CPA, director of management reporting for the CRVA.
The additions to the sales and marketing department are: Matt Aldrich, membership sales manager, and Angela Basso, group sales manager. Both report directly to Sales and Marketing Manager Leslie Horne.
With these additions, there are now 18 full-time members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame staff. Another five to 10 positions will be filled prior to opening. As job openings become available, descriptions and instructions for applying are posted at www.crva.com.
Matthew Aldrich, membership sales manager -- Aldrich is responsible for all aspects of the annual membership program at the NASCAR Hall of Fame which include developing membership packages, recruiting members and ensuring superior customer service. Aldrich brings five years of membership experience from the world-renowned National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He also brings a deep understanding of auto racing. Aldrich was first exposed to motorsports at a young age by his grandfather Jim Malone (aka The Flying Farmer), who had the second most race wins of all time at the historic Riverhead Raceway in N.Y. Aldrich earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies from Cazenovia College and earned a Master of Science in sports management from The State University of New York at Cortland. A native of New York, Aldrich and his wife, Brandy, live in Cornelius, N.C.
Angela Basso, group sales manager -- Basso is responsible for corporate group sales. She also will work with the education department to develop a comprehensive educational program for field trips, birthday parties and other youth-related activities. Not new to the hall of fame business, Basso began her career with a marketing internship at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Prior to joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Basso was the youth program sales manager for the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C. Her experience also includes seven years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with sales roles at Bobcats Sports and Entertainment and RDV Sports in Orlando, Fla. She earned a Bachelor of Science in sports marketing from Clemson University in South Carolina. Originally from upstate New York, she currently lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband, John.
