#BSPNTX Event: Advancing Your Career Presented by UNT Sport Entertainment Management

Event Information:

This event is free for current BSPNTX members and college students with valid IDs and $20 for non-members. Event check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. with the panel discussion getting underway at 6 p.m.

Event Parking:

Parking is free at UNT at Frisco and is available in the front of the building and on the second floor of the parking garage directly across the street.

Event Details:

UNT’s very own Bob Heere and Dexia Smith will share insights about the UNT Sport Entertainment Management program and how it has helped their own sports journeys in an engaging conversation moderated by Rijo Walker of the College Football Playoff. Be prepared to take notes, network and enjoy this educational session designed to spark and advance your career in sports.

Panelists:

Bob Heere is a Full Professor in the Department of Management in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas and s the founding director of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs with a concentration in Sport Entertainment Management (SEM).

Since joining UNT in 2018, Heere has grown the BBA and MBA SEM programs to include 220 students and created formal educational partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys, the PGA of America and Stadia Ventures. He is among the most cited authors in the field of sport management over the last decade, publishing on fan engagement and brand identity and has conducted research in more than 20 countries, spread out over six continents.

Heere recently served as the president of the North American Society of Sport Management and is currently on the editorial board of Sport Management Review. He has consulted for a wide range of sports organizations worldwide, including the Dutch Soccer Federation, the Shanghai Sports Federation, Fulham FC, The World Golf Foundation and AFC Ajax Amsterdam. He is also currently an Advisory Board Member for Crave Global, Rikodi, and the Athlete Media Group and is one of the managing partners of World Soccer Holdings, which holds a minority stake in the Dutch professional soccer team MVV Maastricht.

Dexia Smith is a Sales Associate in the Corporate Partnership Sales department of the Dallas Cowboys. The San Antonio, Texas, native recently earned her Master of Business of Administration degree with a focus in Sport Entertainment Management at the UNT G. Brint Ryan College of Business while working with the Cowboys. Prior to working at The Star, Smith spearheaded marketing efforts for the Emmy-nominated series, “#WASHED”, while assisting with all operations as the Executive Assistant at Pylon 7on7 Football.

Smith’s passion for marketing and media grew from her undergraduate days when she covered UNT athletics for the university’s official athletics website, MeanGreenSports.com. Her ascension in the sports industry began almost immediately following earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from UNT. She bested all Texas applicants and was the only woman to land an internship in the sports department at CBS News in New York covering numerous sports events including the 2015 NBA Draft. Following that, Smith had a four-year stint at Audacy, formerly known as CBS Radio, in Dallas, holding various management roles. Her career stops in sports have also included assisting with WNBA’s Dallas Wings game day operations, working at Octagon Sports and Entertainment Agency to execute ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasts, co-hosting the USA Sports Tech Conference and interning with Stadia Ventures to help execute the company’s Investor Showcase held at the Lincoln Experiences Center in Frisco.

A self-proclaimed forever learner, Smith has been an inaugural participant for both the Legends Global Sales Training Camp and NBA’s first-ever Future Sales Stars programs. Her passion projects include directing her pending 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Advocates of Sexual Assault Awareness, and volunteering with BvB Dallas to raise money for Alzheimer’s Awareness.

Husain Abdullah is the owner of Luminous Logistics LLC and is set to become the Dallas Chief Executive Officer of NFL Alumni NeuroHealth. The NFL Alumni NeuroHealth initiative is a new undertaking focused on addressing former NFL players’ healing of the brain and overall mental health and providing direction and coaching on how to transition away from the game towards a new career path in life.

Abdullah has been recognized for his quiet and focused leadership, being named captain of his football teams in high school, college and the National Football League. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Comparative Ethnic Studies from Washington State University in 2008 and a Master of Arts degree in Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University in 2018.

During a seven-year playing career in the NFL, Abdullah used his status and platform to influence thought on ethics, leadership, social injustice and diversity, equity and inclusion and educated worldwide audiences on Islam. The Los Angeles native has had his life journey documented by several media outlets, including NFL Films, ABC, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the Players Tribune.

Moderator:

Rijo Walker is Assistant Director of Team Operations at the College Football Playoff and is a member of the BSPNTX Programs & Events Committee. Walker joined the CFP staff in 2016 after serving as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Virginia. Prior to returning to Charlottesville, Walker spent one season at Virginia State University in Petersburg as a defensive graduate assistant for the Trojans football program.

A four-year letterwinner on the Cavaliers football team, Walker was named special teams captain in 2013. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Education degree in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration, both from Virginia. The Hampton, Va., native is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and National Football Foundation's Gridiron Club of Dallas in addition to being an active member of BSPNTX.