CINCINNATI – Brian Persky, STS, director of business development, Discover Kalamazoo Sports, was appointed to the board of directors of Sports ETA as a destination representative.

Persky has been with Discover Kalamazoo for more than eight years and has served in leadership roles with Three Rivers DDA/Main Street in Three Rivers, and at Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University and holds active membership with the Kalamazoo Friends of Recreation and Michigan Sports Commission.

“We welcome Brian to the Sports ETA board of directors to represent destinations in our industry,” Sports ETA President and CEO John David said. “Brian has been a long-time member of the association and will bring creative and innovative ideas to Sports ETA on behalf of the member destinations.”

“Under Brian’s leadership, sports tourism in Kalamazoo County has been very successful, generating almost $30 million of economic impact yearly,” Discover Kalamazoo President and CEO Jane Ghosh said. “Brian deeply understands the importance of this industry to local communities, making him a great choice for the Sports ETA board.”

Sports ETA describes itself as the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry.

“(We are) the most trusted resource for sports commissions, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and sports event owners,” Sports ETA stated. “Sports ETA is committed to the success of more than 750 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals. We promise to deliver quality education, ample networking opportunities, and exceptional event management and marketing know-how to our members to protect the integrity of the sports events and tourism industry.”

For more information, visit SportsETA.org.