A Time of Substantial Change: A Conversation with Sport Oregon Board President Emeritus Bill Hueffner — Sport Oregon Voices
As he transitions from his role as president of the board of directors for Sport Oregon to president emeritus, we sat down with Bill Hueffner – the head of corporate marketing and development for Pacific Seafood – to discuss his longtime involvement with Sport Oregon, the many exciting accomplishments the organization has achieved during his time as board president, and what the future holds for the organization.
What are your overall thoughts on your time as president of the Sport Oregon board?
Bill Hueffner: “I am beyond pleased and excited about the organization, where it’s at, and where it’s going.”
What are some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of during your term?
“I’m most proud of the five-year strategic plan we developed in 2018. It was focused on three key goals with 44 underlining objectives on how to achieve them. Despite an unprecedented pandemic shutdown that devastated the sports world, the event world, and that entire scene, Sport Oregon not only survived, but thrived and grew. So much so that we’ve completed that five-year strategic plan in basically two-and-a-half years.”
“As Chris Van Wagner comes in now as president, she will work in partnership with the executive committee to develop the next strategic plan. I’m a strong believer in always having a long-term plan and know it was pivotal to our success during the pandemic.”
“The other thing I’m proud of is helping the team navigate through the pandemic. I was fortunate to be with a company that is deemed an essential business and legally couldn’t stop operating; so we had to figure out how to do so safely during COVID. The company was on the cutting edge with the Oregon Health Department and the county health organizations, and I shared what I was seeing happening on the ground with (Sport Oregon CEO) Jim Etzel, so we could be prepared as an organization. By getting ourselves in position quickly and early, we were able to take advantage of resources available to help non-profits and others businesses weather the pandemic. Also, it was critical not to make any cuts to our staff because we needed every single position to continue building and setting all the foundational elements that were in play.”
“We knew that reopening was inevitable and wanted to be poised to pick up more opportunities to bring sporting events to Oregon. This helps us drive economic impact, which is part of our mission along with improving the quality of life for Oregonians through sport. Certainly, Portland has had some rough times, but someone has to be telling that story about where we’re at, how we’re going to come out of this, and sharing the other side of the good that’s around here. When visitors or event planners are considering Oregon, we want the thriving, world-class sports scene to be a key factor in their decision making.
Certainly the pandemic presented unique challenges for everyone, but how did Sport Oregon use this time to become an even stronger voice for sports in the state?
“In many ways, we were a very new organization. During the time of the pandemic we’ve grown from three to nine full-time staff and moved from the third floor of an old home in downtown to a state-of-the-art office, where we are proud to host people. In some ways, the pandemic slowdown may have been part of what enabled us to move through some of these things we needed to accomplish so quickly. We were able to be very focused on the development of the team, the organizational development, working with the community, and actually becoming that entity within the sports world that really didn’t exist in the past. We became a unified voice for sporting groups, events, and youth sports that were completely shut down. The sports community needed representation with decision makers during this time that knows about the sports industry, the impact it’s going to have on our youth, the impact that it has on mental and emotional health, and advocating for these things that need to be considered.”
What do you see as the value of sports?
“Sports are good for our state, but they’re even more important for people. I don’t know what my life would be if I didn’t grow up having the opportunity to play sports, learning how to get along with other people, learning how to be a team player, learning how to win and lose, and learning how to do things in and for community. A lot of that I learned through sports. It’s not just about being physically healthy, it’s about being holistically healthy in body, mind and spirit.”
How did you first get involved with Sport Oregon?
“I’ve been involved with sports marketing with almost every position that I’ve held throughout my career (National Car Rental, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors). When I moved here to Portland for JELD-WEN, we had just done a deal with the PGA Tour for the Champions Tour event, and I was aware of the Oregon Sports Authority (now Sport Oregon). I thought that we should be involved because we had a major event in the state, and that was 16 years ago.”
From there, your involvement has grown, as has the organization as a whole. What are some of the more rewarding developments of the last few years, in particular?
“Sport Oregon’s previous business model was funded through the corporate memberships. When I came on I saw an opportunity to shift the model and become the organization that also revives or creates profitable sporting events.”
“And in our search for a new executive director and CEO, that’s why Jim Etzel ended up being absolutely the right person at the right time to come in and take the helm. Not only was Jim very equipped and well-versed in putting together profitable events, but he’s also a guy who grew up here. Having someone in that position who not only knew the game but knew the people, was a no-brainer.”
“Then that next hire after Jim was Maika Janat-Vennemann who was involved with a worldwide events company. So, we had a strong core foundation to start building this team with and moving this whole organization in a different direction. I’ve had the privilege to serve as board president during this time and to help assemble the right team which in turn makes everything else so easy for the board.”
“And what I’ve seen happen with the board, is that there’s so many more people who are willing and want to be active and involved, people that are really caring about what is going on and wanting to get involved. We’ve got great companies in this state, and they’re leveraging their power behind this organization to make it something that’s going to make a difference for all Oregonians. It’s fun to be a part of.”
Looking ahead now after your term as board president, what are some of the things you’re most excited about for Sport Oregon?
“What I’m most excited about for the future of this organization is Chris Van Wagner coming in as president, and the rest of the executive board. They’re all top-notch people who are very interested and actively involved. We also have a tremendous group of people who are involved with the committees, and chairing those committees. Our board and committees are made that much stronger with a diverse group of community leaders from all different backgrounds composing them. Across the board, we have really great people in place who I enjoy working with, being around, and have the utmost respect for.”
“I’m very encouraged by our strong young professionals board as well which has a strong and involved leadership. They attend meetings, support various events and, they bring an energy to the group.
“I have three daughters, so I also am very interested in bringing women into leadership through sports. We now have a WISE chapter here in Portland, we’ve developed a new She Flies initiative that we’re very excited about, and Sport Oregon again has a female, Chris, as the president of the board.
“Now that I hope we have a better picture of how to handle COVID I’m excited for us to get back into events and the opportunity to really grow as an organization. I was hopeful we’d be able to execute on these during my term, but so much is going to start flooding back in. Sport Oregon is extremely well-positioned to help manage and amplify the success of the events while also creating legacy projects events that continue for years to come.
“That’s what I’m excited about; I’m excited about the future and really being able to do some exciting things for folks, to do more with our foundation, such as our Fuel the Future event that raised a quarter million dollars to help underserved kids. When you really stop and think about it, there’s just a lot to be impressed with. And for anyone who has the opportunity in the future to be on the board, if you want to roll up your sleeves with a bunch of really talented and influential people that care about our state and the people who live here, this is it.”
Next Up
Sport Oregon Voices sits down with Chris Van Wagner, the new board president at Sport Oregon, for her thoughts on the future of the organization and about her passion for making a difference for the state through sports.