For Release: Immediate
From: Mike Counter, St. Norbert College, www.snc.edu, (920) 403-3089, mike.counter@snc.edu
Aaron Popkey, Green Bay Packers, www.packers.com, (920) 569-7211, popkeya@packers.com
November 28, 2011
DE PERE, WIS.: George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, will be one of the featured speakers at the academic conference “A Mirror of Our Culture: Sport and Society in America.” This national conference will be hosted by St. Norbert College and the Green Bay Packers, May 22-24, 2012.
Bodenheimer will speak to conference attendees on Wednesday evening, May 23, at 7 p.m. at Michels Commons on the St. Norbert College campus.
An ESPN and cable industry pioneer, George Bodenheimer is the company’s longest-tenured top executive and has led an unprecedented period of growth for ESPN. In 1998, he was named ESPN’s fifth president since the company’s launch in 1979. In 2003, he was also appointed president of ABC Sports, overseeing all the multimedia sports assets of The Walt Disney Company, and in 2004 he assumed the role of co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, encompassing strategic planning for Disney’s media assets.
As president of ESPN Inc., Bodenheimer leads one of the world’s premier brands with over 50 business entities and counting–including seven 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN 3D); 46 international television networks; ESPN3 (broadband); ESPN The Magazine; and other growing new businesses.
Under Bodenheimer’s leadership, ESPN has acquired a collection of rights unparalleled in scope, including Monday Night Football, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, college football and the BCS, college basketball, The Masters, Premier League, golf’s British Open and tennis’ US Open and Wimbledon.
This is the second conference of its kind put on by St Norbert and the Packers. The first conference was held in 2010. This partnership between an NFL team and an institution of higher education brings together academics and business professionals from around the country.
The Packers have held their summer training camp at St. Norbert College for 54 years, the longest such relationship between a pro football team and a college in the NFL.
For more on the connections between St. Norbert College and the Green Bay Packers go to http://www.snc.edu/communications/specialreports/packerconnection.html.
Presentation or paper abstracts will be accepted until Jan. 23, 2012 with notification of acceptances shortly thereafter, following review by the conference steering committee. Formal conference registration will open on Feb.1, 2012, and close on April 1, 2012. Registration will be limited.
For more information on the conference, go to www.snc.edu/sportandsociety, or contact Karen Cleereman, conference administrative coordinator, at sportandsociety@snc.edu or (920) 403-3777.
For more information on the relationship between St. Norbert College and the Green Bay Packers go to http://www.snc.edu/communications/specialreports/packerconnection.html.
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