Athletics
Business
Alumni
March 15, 2018
University of Portland alumni Jim Etzel '85 (Marketing, Management & Communications) was recently announced as the new Executive Director of Oregon Sports Authority.
“I’m truly excited, honored, and proud to have been selected to lead this fantastic organization, which has worked so hard to make Oregon relevant on the national sports scene, and to utilize my years of experience and breadth of contacts to build on the success [departing CEO] Drew Mahalic has built,” stated Etzel.
Etzel is the son of Joe Etzel '60 who served as athletic director at UP from 1970-2004 and saw the construction of many of the athletics facilities on campus such as the Chiles Center, the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center, Pilot Stadium (now named Joe Etzel Field in his honor), and Merlo Field. His sister Susan Etzel ’90 serves as the University’s Associate Director of Events and Conferences.
Much like his father, Jim Etzel continues to be very much involved with the University. A member of the Pilot Club, he actively works with Pilot Athletics. He is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board to the Pamplin School of Business and is specifically involved with the events committee.
“I’m thrilled to work with Jim Etzel in his new role as the Executive Director of the Oregon Sports Authority," stated Scott Leykam, University of Portland Athletics Director. "He is a strategic, outside the box thinker with unparalleled connections in the sporting world in the state of Oregon and beyond. I’m confident Jim will build on the good work done by Drew Mahalic and take the Oregon Sports Authority to the next level.”
Etzel has more than 30 years of experience in sports and event marketing and management and is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of ETZEL Agency, a brand experience and live event agency. He will now be stepping down as CEO of the company in order to fulfill his new position with Oregon Sports Authority.
With Etzel Agency, Etzel has formed partnerships and put on events with organizations such as ESPN, College Football Playoff, USA Today/Gannett, TrackTown USA, Nike, Adidas, Major League Soccer (MLS), and NBC Sports Northwest.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Jim as our new Executive Director," stated Oregon Sports Authority President Doug Obletz. "His unique skill set, strong local ties and extensive network of industry contacts put him in an ideal position to take the organization to even greater heights."
Oregon Sports Authority seeks to attract major sporting events to Oregon in order to engage citizens and boost the economy. The organization's major achievements include securing the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Davis Cup World Final, multiple U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Women’s World Cup Soccer, and the Dew Tour. Members of Oregon Sports Authority include the Portland Timbers, the Portland Trailblazers, Columbia, Oregon State University, Nike, and Adidas.
“The Oregon Sports Authority has immense potential to positively impact our state economically and emotionally through sports; that’s a vibrant opportunity on which I’m incredibly excited to capitalize," stated Etzel. "I look forward to working with the board, staff and stakeholders in creating opportunities for Oregon and our communities through sport.”
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
This website uses cookies to track information for analytics purposes. You can view the full University of Portland privacy policy for more information.
