In 1996, the San Antonio Sports Foundation board voted to hire Dr. Susan Blackwood as executive director. She led the organization for the next 17 years, creating monumental change for the Foundation and the community around her.
Blackwood’s expansion of San Antonio Sports’ outreach to youth was particularly notable. She transitioned Dreams for Youth to i play! afterschool, and created the Fit Family Challenge, Go!
Kids Challenge and Kids Rock marathon training program. During her tenure, San Antonio hosted five NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, two NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships and the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon. The Bexar County Venue bond, which resulted in 13 new athletic facilities across the county, was approved by voters under her watch.
When Blackwood retired in 2013, San Antonio Sports’ annual budget had grown from $125,000 to $3.4 million, and its events contributed more than $425 million in direct visitor spending to San Antonio’s economy. Even when she retired, she continued to help her community, spearheading a $15 million legacy funding campaign that would support the Foundation’s kids’ programs for years to come.
In 2016, Blackwood, who usually made the call to inform those inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame, received the call that she would be a member of the Class of 2017. Her name in the Hall of Fame is indicative of the indelible mark she has made on our community.
To learn more about Dr. Blackwood and other San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame members, visit https://sanantoniosports.org/hof-members/