(SAN ANTONIO – May 3, 2022) After 10 years at the helm of San Antonio Sports, President & CEO Russ Bookbinder will step down at the end of the year on December 31, 2022. Jonathan Owens, chairman of the nonprofit’s board of directors, announced that a search committee is being formed to name a replacement. Bookbinder will be moving to Waco in January so he and his wife can be closer to family.
“Russ has been a tremendous asset to our organization, and we appreciate his years of dedicated service,” said Owens. “We wish Russ and his family the best as he transitions into his next chapter.”
Under his leadership, San Antonio Sports has expanded its signature youth program, i play! afterschool, to serve thousands of children in 58 Title I schools in five school districts; transformed the San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game into a televised event at the Alamodome annually featuring more than 100 high school seniors from Bexar and surrounding counties; bid on and hosted major events including the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four in 2018 and 2021; navigated the organization through two years of a pandemic which saw unprecedented cancellations; and launched Fiesta FitFest, a three-day official Fiesta event focused on fitness.
“I inherited a high performing organization from Susan Blackwood in 2013,” said Bookbinder. “The board and staff truly believe in and live by the mission of transforming our community through the power of sport. I’m grateful to them and to the many donors, business partners, school districts, volunteers, city and county officials that have helped us to transform the health and well-being of San Antonio by providing events and programs that have made a positive impact.”
–30–
ABOUT SAN ANTONIO SPORTS
San Antonio Sports, founded in 1984, bids on and hosts premier sporting events such as NCAA® championships, which have generated a local economic impact of more than $900 million. San Antonio Sports kids programs, including i play! afterschool annually touch the lives of more than 150,000 children in San Antonio through sports training and fitness programs. Additionally, San Antonio Sports serves as a catalyst for the development of quality recreational and athletic facilities in our community, including San Antonio Sports School Parks. To learn more, visit SanAntonioSports.org.