News Release
Bill Ryan hired to direct Detroit's Midwest Regional and Final Four efforts
Detroit took one step closer toward successfully hosting the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Midwest Regional and 2009 Final Four at Ford Field with the hiring of Bill Ryan to serve as executive director of the Detroit Local Organizing Committee (DLOC) for these two major basketball events. Keri Gaither, UDM athletic director and chair of the DLOC, made today's announcement.
Ryan will start in his new position immediately. He is currently owner-president of a marketing and technical project management company, the Ryan Marketing Group, in Grand Rapids. Ryan and RMG are considered part of the NCAA "family," having served as technology consultant to the Association for 15 years working the Men & Women's Division I Basketball championships.
Ryan also has additional experience with College World Series, men's Division I hockey, men's Division I golf, men's and women's Division I Soccer, men's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men & women's cross country and the I-AA Football Championship.
"I think we hit a home run landing Bill as our Executive Director," Gaither commented. "There was a very strong pool of qualified candidates for the DLOC to choose from, but Bill was clearly the right fit for us. He will undoubtedly ensure that Detroit hosts a first-class Regional next March, and a record-setting Final Four in 2009." Gaither's "record-setting" reference comes on the heels of the NCAA's approval of a Ford Field seating configuration that will allow more than 70,000 fans to attend both the Midwest Regional and Final Four.
In his new role, Ryan will oversee daily management and operation of the DLOC for the 2008 Regional and 2009 Final Four. He will serve as the primary DLOC liaison for UDM as the host institution, Ford Field and the Detroit Metro Convention & sitors Bureau. Ryan will also serve as the primary DLOC liaison to the NCAA staff and Men's Basketball Championship Committee, and will work with the NCAA to ensure all local host obligations are on schedule and within NCAA guidelines.
A native Detroiter, Ryan will also work closely with the various functional local committees and coordinate all DLOC involvement with government entities, serving as the DLOC liaison to the City of Detroit, Wayne County and suburban counties and the State of Michigan.
Ryan's prior work experience included an eight-year stint in consumer sales and marketing with MCI in Detroit, Chicago and Washington, DC. He also spent more than 17 years in the automotive industry in Detroit, working in a variety of sales and marketing positions with Kelsey-Hayes Corporation.
"Detroit has proven countless times to be the greatest sports city in this country. Our sports fans are among the most loyal, most supportive and most boisterous in the world," Ryan said. "Having the opportunity to help bring the 2008 Men's Division I Regional and the 2009 Final Four Championship to Detroit is a dream come true. This NCAA championship is unparalleled as a world-class intercollegiate sporting event. I am proud of the city of Detroit and everything that it represents. The leaders in this city, from the administration to its corporate and civic partners, its host institution, University of Detroit Mercy, and Ford Field demonstrate the finest in what this country has to offer.
"It takes a tremendous amount of work to put on tournaments of this size and I am only one individual, a part of a large team of dedicated staff and volunteers that will ultimately make these events successful. With Ford Field as our venue, and all of the exciting happenings in Detroit as our backdrop, we intend to showcase this city and its citizens."
Release date: August 14, 2007
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