Florida Citrus Sports

Congratulations to our President, Sharon Line Clary, on her recent promotion to Senior Vice President of Community Impact and Partnership Engagement for AdventHealth Central Florida. In her new role, Sharon will continue to bring the AdventHealth brand to life through the leadership of the AdventHealth Foundation in Central Florida, marketing and nonprofit partnerships, business partnerships, communications, and community relations and impact. Beyond her leadership and experience in the healthcare marketing and communications field, Sharon has dedicated many years of service to our local community. She currently serves on several boards in addition to ours, including the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, WISE Greater Orlando, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts – The Circle, Mennello Museum of American Art and Orlando Museum of Art.

The Florida Classic is more than just a football game and in-state rivalry between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman University. It is the nation’s largest football game between two Historically Black College/University (HBCU) schools. Since its inception in 1978, the game has seen over 2 million spectators attend (2,214,060) and is the 𝑶𝑵𝑳𝒀 HBCU Classic owned by both participating institutions. Tickets are on sale now for the 44th edition of the game—the 27th consecutive held at Camping World Stadium, in the heart of the City of Orlando—which will take place Saturday, November 23, at 3:30 p.m. Group and premium seating packages for the matchup are available now, but space is limited. If you're looking to support these two historic universities and experience the taste, sound and excitement of this cultural experience that goes beyond the gridiron, you can learn more about available options at FloridaClassic.org.

Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan joined the Front Office Sports Today podcast to discuss the upcoming college football season including the 12-team playoff as well as the success of last season’s Pop-Tarts Bowl. You can listen to the full interview below.

As we settle in for the upcoming fall season, we're excited to share our recent staff additions. Please join us in welcoming these individuals to the Florida Citrus Sports family! Kelly Thesier Schultz is our Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University, where she was also a four-year member of the golf team. She comes to FCS after spending 13 years in various roles with the LPGA, most recently as VP of Communications and, before that, as a beat reporter for the Minnesota Twins. Carlos Fonseca is our Event Operations Director. He’s a first-generation college graduate from the University of Maryland and previously worked with the Rosen Hotels & Resorts and the YMCA of Central Florida. Kimberly Bruno is our Event Operations Assistant Manager, overseeing the Varsity Club and hotel operations. A Flagler College physiology and religion major, she previously worked with Track Shack as a Race Operations Consultant. William Barnes is a Marketing & Communications Assistant. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina, Barnes received a degree in Communications and Media Studies and a minor in History, and spent five seasons on the football team as a offensive lineman. Roger C. is a Sales Associate. He graduated from UCF in Integrated Business with a Sports Business minor. His previous stops include roles with the Orlando Guardians and Tourist Info. Madisyn Hagan is a Corporate Partnerships Intern. She graduated from Savannah State with a degree in Mass Communications. No stranger to the organization, Hagan previously worked with our staff during bowl season last year through her DREAM Foundation internship. Cody Hudson is an Events Intern. He graduated from UCF in Finance with a Sports Business minor and has worked with Orlando City Soccer, the Orlando Guardians, and as a Varsity Club Coordinator and Bowl Week intern for us in previous seasons. Theresa Jean Louis is our Florida Blue Florida Classic Corporate Partnerships Intern. She graduated from FAMU with a degree in Agribusiness and previously worked as a Fan Experience Ushers Team Leader at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. Nina Kaderabek is a Sales Associate. A UCF graduate, she majored in Human Communications and minored in Sociology. She previously interned with UCF Athletics as a Strategies Communications Intern and served as a Knight-Thon Team Captain. Miranda Pacula is a Sales Associate. She graduated from Florida State with a degree in Global Club Management and Leadership and a minor in Communications. She has previously worked with the PGA Tour on their food and beverage teams at The PLAYERS Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational. Logan Rolfes is a Customer Relations Intern. A University of Northwestern Ohio graduate in Sports Business Management, he’s previously worked with On Location at events including Super Bowl LVIII, NCAA Final Four, and the NFL Draft.

Waste Pro USA has been an amazing partner for us in the community. We're grateful for their continued support, not only inside and around Camping World Stadium, but also their commitment to helping the community at large grow and succeed. 📽️: https://lnkd.in/eKXqspdv / Waste Pro USA

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that former Florida Citrus Sports board president and Howard Palmer Award recipient Richard Jackson passed away on August 1 at the age of 72. A Central Florida tourism industry icon, Richard leaves behind a devoted wife of 39 years, Cindy; two children, Lindsey Sloan and Adam Jackson; an 18-month-old grandson, Jackson Sloan; and a legacy in Central Florida that far exceeds his accomplishments within our organization, alone His dedication and leadership left a lasting impact on our company and our community, and he will be greatly missed. To learn more about Richard's life and legacy or to make a donation in his memory, please visit https://lnkd.in/ecSbkJSb.

The second match of our 2024 FC Series summer tour saw a sellout crowd in historic Yankee Stadium witness a back-and-forth match between Manchester City and AC Milan. The friendly lived up to the hype with reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland finding the back of the net early in the match and U.S. Men's National Team captain Christian Pulisic coming on late to a large applause from the New York crowd. Next stop, a date with Barcelona and Manchester City in Orlando Tuesday night!

Congratulations to AdventHealth Central Florida Orlando on being named the No. 1 hospital in metro Orlando by U.S. News & World Report for a 14th consecutive year! We're thrilled to have their team's exceptional care in our community and at our events annually. 📰: https://lnkd.in/efwWrkYB

The United States Department of Defense Warrior Games concluded yesterday after 10 days of competition in Orlando. Members of our Events and Operations team were thrilled to once again assist our partners Populous in various supporting roles on-site during the two-week event. It was truly rewarding to support these wounded, ill and injured active-duty and veteran service members as they competed in 11 adaptive sports in front of thousands of friends, families and volunteers! We loved being a part of this inspiring event once again and can’t wait until the next one! #WarriorGames #WG24

We're excited to introduce some new faces to our team. Please join us in welcoming the newest additions to our staff: Brennan M., an Orlando native and University of Florida graduate with a degree in Business Administration, joins Florida Citrus Sports as an Events & Operations Intern. Brennan's journey with Florida Citrus Sports began in 2014 as a volunteer for the Florida Citrus Parade, where he helped decorate parade floats. During the 2021-22 season, he worked as a runner before being promoted to a sponsorship intern. In the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Brennan served as a runner and later as a team hotel intern. Julien Sears, originally from Spokane Valley, Washington, is joining us as our Event and Operations Coordinator. He previously worked as a Guest Experience Manager at ESPN Wide World of Sports and earned All-American honors playing football at Linfield University. Tonya Roberts, a Central Florida native and UCF graduate, brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to our staff as a Finance Operations Coordinator. She most recently worked as a File Reviewer with Janney Roofing after spending more than two decades working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Jordan Henderson, a former basketball and football player and a recent Integrated Business graduate from UCF, joins Florida Citrus Sports as a Corporate Partnerships Intern. With a focus on sports management, Jordan has honed his data analytics and writing skills while gaining two years of experience in sponsorship activation, asset management, and collegiate athletic engagement. Alyssia Paiz, a UCF graduate with a degree in Human Communication, re-joins Florida Citrus Sports as an Events & Operations Intern. Alyssia served as a team hotel intern for the 2023-2024 bowl season and previously gained valuable experience working with prominent sports organizations, including the Orlando Solar Bears, Orlando Valkyries, Orlando Predators, and UCF Athletics. Carl Baylor, a Virginia State University alum with a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, joins Florida Citrus Sports as an Events & Volunteer Intern. Carl previously worked with Florida Citrus Sports at several events in 2023 as part of the DREAM Foundation internship program. Johnathan Bui (not pictured), a University of South Florida alum and former Communications Intern during the 2016-2017 season, returns to Florida Citrus Sports as a Performance Marketing Manager. Johnathan brings experience from his recent role at Nike as a NA Consumer Direct Marketing Specialist for Partners & Retail Brand.