Pulaski County STEA established

One of the First of its Kind in Virginia, Pulaski County Creates New Authority to Manage Strategic Assets and Promote Sports Tourism and Entertainment

The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, by resolution, has officially created a new political subdivision pursuant to the Public Recreational Facilities Act, Ch. 56, Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia to facilitate sports tourism and promote entertainment. The newly created authority shall be called the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority and will serve as an extension and arm of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors to help administer and manage the County’s sports tourism and entertainment facilities and assets, and to advantageously promote sports tourism and entertainment events within Pulaski County.

“This is a historic undertaking by the Board of Supervisors to strategically set up a unique authority dedicated to effectuate our sports tourism and entertainment vision, and I am confident it will serve its intended purpose to advance sports tourism and entertainment for the benefit of the County, our citizens and our businesses”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “Sports tourism is one of the biggest opportunities in Southwestern Virginia for Pulaski County to capture latent market share. With our world-class sports and entertainment venues, coupled with the potential for one of Virginia’ largest indoor sportsplexes and expo centers to be added to our inventory, it makes good sense to establish a sports tourism and entertainment authority that will allow us to enterprise and optimize these assets for the greater good of the local economy and the community at large.”

The Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority will serve as the principal point of contact for Pulaski County’s sports tourism, events and entertainment facilities, and the Authority will provide management services and oversight for Pulaski County’s sports, recreation, entertainment and event assets. The Authority will also oversee and facilitate future public and private investments in this space. The portfolio of STEA venues may include components of Randolph Park, the New River Valley Fairgrounds, the Pulaski County Motorsports Park and Event Center, Historic Calfee Park, and the proposed Pulaski County Indoor Sportsplex and Expo Center with the potential for an estimated aggregate value of more than $80,000,000.00+.

“Our exponential growth of our sports and entertainment assets, as well as the diversity and scale of our facilities, warrants a specialized and strategic focus to optimize these properties for the maximum benefit to both our citizens and our business community”, stated Laura Walters, Chair, Pulaski County Board of Supervisors. “This approach to enterprising these public assets should yield a greater return to our County coffers, and make it more sustainable, as well as provide a better experience for our citizens, create greater demand for our hospitality, tourism and service industries, and bolster our small business and retail operations.”

The initial mission of the Authority is to optimize the sports tourism, entertainment and recreational assets of Pulaski County for the benefit of both our business community and our citizens, and to measurably bolster our local economy and enrich our quality of life through the attraction and hosting of enhanced sports tourism and entertainment events within the array of Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority’s facilities and assets.

The Authority is initially comprised of six (6) members appointed by the Board of Supervisors and they will serve a two-year term. They shall serve to effectuate the mission of the Authority, ensure the Board of Supervisors’ sports tourism and entertainment vision is pursued and their intent and purpose is met, and to see to it that the objectives given of the Authority are achieved per the adopted Articles of Incorporation.

The first appointed members to the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority are:

⦁ Bud Foster of Draper, VA – Virginia Tech
⦁ Dr. Angela Joyner, Ph.D., of Fairlawn, VA – Radford University
⦁ Kevin Meredith of Snowville, VA – New Roads Mindset, LLC
⦁ Ashley Coake, CFP, EA, of Draper, VA – Cultivate Financial, LLC
⦁ Amber Clark of Fairlawn, VA – New River Community College
⦁ Missy Gentry of Dublin, VA – The Shelor Group

The initial objectives identified by the Board of Supervisors for the Authority and its dedicated staff to pursue are the development of a Sports Tourism and Entertainment Authority’s budget; establishing all the necessary operational structures, SOP’s, MOU’s, Partnership Agreements, Lease Agreements, Internal Services structure, etc.; the acquirement of any necessary licensures and certifications; the preparation of a business plan(s); the branding of the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority; the branding/rebranding of certain Authority facilities, assets, and events; the development of a marketing plan and the direct engagement of marketing the Authority’s facilities, assets and events; to appropriately scope and scale the Authority, its operations, its staff and its assets; and, to effectively communicate and routinely report to the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors of the Authority’s projects, progress, operations and activities.