December 31, 2023
In 2023, Black Sports Professionals North Texas was again the place to be!
Thanks to the efforts and support of our partners, our outstanding board, and volunteer committee members who worked tirelessly to fulfill our mission we had another record-setting year here in North Texas! Every committee exceeded expectations and set new standards for chapters in the BSP network.
Highlights from our past 12 months:
Scholarships: Our Scholarship Committee, led by Chair Cherise Lee, distributed a chapter record of $20,000 to nine deserving students with North Texas ties who want to pursue careers in the sports industry. BSPNTX’s single-year record distribution came in the third year of its scholarships initiative, bringing its total to $44,500 in dollars distributed to fund 26 scholarships for 23 college students.
Members and supporters supported BSPNTX’s scholarships initiative during giving opportunities throughout the year. The chapter raised $3,541 during its Double Good Fundraiser in May and raised $1,840 for North Texas Giving Day 2023.
Programs & Events: Once again, Programs & Events Committee Chair Kelli Frazier led the chapter’s effort to bring programming to our members monthly. Our 2023 programs featured prominent speakers, professional development and happy hours designed to CONNECT, EMPOWER & ADVANCE our members.
BSPNTX hosted or participated in 14 events in 2023 – four in-person events, five webinars and five happy hours. The chapter’s event schedule was highlighted by hosting its first-ever BSPNTX Summit. More than 50 attendees from around the region heard from leading voices in the sports industry over a day of learning and networking at the University of North Texas at Frisco.
Advisory Board: Administration Committee Chair LaDondra Wilson continued to head up our special projects. Wilson pulled together the first meetings of the chapter’s Advisory Board, created to help guide our future growth and direction of BSPNTX. She is also taking the lead on scheduling the Executive Board’s strategic planning sessions and annual retreat in 2024 so the leadership can continue to stay on course with delivering real value to our members in the months ahead.
Sponsorship & Fundraising: Victor Ribakare took over the leadership role of the Sponsorship & Fundraising Committee and helped maintain our relationships with our key partners. Conversations are already underway to bring on more partners in the coming months to build on the chapter’s record-setting year in 2023.
We want to thank our partners for their support of the chapter this year and we look forward to extending our relationship with them for years to come:
Dallas Mavericks
Texas Rangers
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Stars
University of North Texas Sport Entertainment Management
PGA of America
Reveal Suits
FastSigns North Arlington
Membership: BSPNTX’s active membership reached new heights in 2023 with a more than 37 percent increase. The chapter’s closed the year trending towards eclipsing the 200-member mark for the first time in its history. Vice President and Mr. CommUNITY Breon Dennis is heading up the Membership Committee in 2024 and will be looking to create more engagement and deliver more value for current members as well as reaching out more across North Texas to draw in new members.
Mentorship Program: One of the best member benefits we offer as an organization is our mentoring program led by committee chair Destiny Price. If you are an active chapter member, you can serve as a mentor or sign up to be a mentee. Our mentoring program is designed to create one-on-one interactions at a mutually agreed-upon pace to help mentees navigate the sports industry.
Marketing & Communications: If you heard or saw anything regarding BSPNTX, it is likely due to our Marketing & Communications Committee Chair Scottie Rodgers. The chapter’s communications efforts continued to hit milestones in 2023, passing 1,000 Instagram followers and 2,000 LinkedIn followers. Both totals rank as the most among BSP chapters.
The chapter also received national media recognition in the Sports Business Journal and was featured in the Dallas Examiner.
Finance: As BSPNTX experienced a record year, Vice President and Treasurer Greer Christian managed a record financial year. She continues to make sure the chapter’s financial affairs remain in order and maintains the fiscal responsibility to keep the chapter in position for even more success in 2024 and beyond.
Administration: No organization can function without someone serving in the role that Nyzhe Primas does as the chapter's Secretary. In addition to helping to plan the Executive Board’s meetings and keeping the chapter going administratively, she adds to the BSPNTX social media efforts to make her a dual treat and contributor for the chapter.
2023 was a banner year for the chapter and its members with many receiving new jobs, being promoted and receiving local, regional and national awards and recognitions.
But there is a lot more work to do in 2024! BSPNTX is in a position to make a more significant impact on senior leadership opportunities in sports in North Texas, while also cultivating the next generation of sports professionals eager to kickstart their careers. To do that, we need you to get involved and remain involved – join the chapter, renew your membership, encourage others to join and renew and attend our programs and events regularly. The more you put into our chapter, the more you will get out of it and the more we can bring to you.
As an organization, we are growing and maturing. As individuals, we are growing and maturing as well. This year, we had two of our former Executive Board members, Wesley Nakwaasah and his wife Ashley and Andre Harris and his wife Lloimincia, become parents for the first time. These are just two examples of how our members are prospering in their personal lives as well as in their professional lives.
BSPNTX is poised to evolve as a chapter and listen to your professional development needs to keep pace and stay ahead in the ever-changing business of sports. We want to make sure our members build a balanced life around excelling in the sports industry.
We look forward to connecting with each and every one of you in 2024 and making it the best year yet. Happy New Year!
Larry Lundy
BSPNTX President