Columbia Sports Commission

Contents

Meeting Materials

Advises the Convention and Visitors Bureau with its sports sales efforts to recruit, retain, and organize regional, state, and national sporting events; makes recommendations to the Convention and Visitors Advisory Board related to the support of sporting events and sporting-related projects and promotions; and advises the City Council on any sports-related efforts. The Commission is composed of eleven (11) voting members, of which seven (7) are appointed by the City Council.  The length of terms is two years, with openings occurring in December.

Members & Terms:

  • Kristopher Kunz – Term Ending December 31, 2024
  • Heather Cairns – Term Ending December 31, 2024
  • Carter Marcks – Term Ending December 31, 2024
  • Ethan Cobb – Term Ending December 31, 2025
  • Julie Calfee – Term Ending December 31, 2025
  • Beau Baehman – Term Ending December 31, 2025
  • Jared Klarfeld – Term Ending December 31, 2025
  • Tony Daniel – Appointee of the Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia
  • James Arnold – Appointee of the President of Columbia College
  • David Egan – Appointee of the Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools
  • Susan Hart – Appointee of the Chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
  • Amy Schneider – Convention and Visitors Department Director or Designee
  • Gabe Huffington – Parks and Recreation Department Director or Designee
  • Aric Jarvis – Convention and Visitors Advisory Board Chair or Designee

Establishing Legislation

Sec. 2-365.21. Established. 

The Columbia Sports Commission is hereby established to provide support and assistance in the City’s efforts in recruiting, retaining and organizing regional, state, and national sporting events, as well as promoting amateur, club, college, and professional local sporting teams.
(Ord. No. 24077, § 1, 11-4-19)

Sec. 2-365.22. Duties and responsibilities. 

The commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

  1. Assist the Convention and Visitors Bureau with its sports sales efforts to recruit, retain and organize regional, state, and national sporting events;
  2.  Promote amateur, club, college and professional local sporting teams;
  3. Make recommendations to the Convention and Visitors Advisory Board related to the support of sporting events and sporting-related projects and promotions;
  4. Evaluate Columbia’s current sports market and identify existing sporting events, tournaments and existing facilities;
  5. Identify qualifying events that will fit current facilities;
  6. Provide support to new and existing events; and
  7. Advise the city council on any other sports-related efforts.
    (Ord. No. 24077, § 1, 11-4-19)

Sec. 2-365.23. Membership; appointment; qualifications; terms. 

(a) The commission shall be composed of eleven (11) voting members who shall serve without compensation and shall not be paid employees of the city and three (3) nonvoting liaison members. Commission members shall demonstrate a knowledge of and passion for sporting events in the community and have an ability to positively impact events through their knowledge and resources. The members shall consist of the following:   

(1) Five (5) voting members shall be appointed by the city council and shall be residents of the city, comprised of the following:

  1. Two (2) members shall be representatives from sports clubs or organizations located and active in the community with established regular season activities and scheduled hosted tournaments.
  2. One (1) member shall be a representative from a small to mid-sized business or employer within the city limits of Columbia.
  3. One (1) member shall be a representative from a large business or major employer within the city limits of Columbia.
  4. One (1) member shall be a citizen-at-large interested in sporting events.

(2) Two (2) voting members shall be representatives from a hotel or motel property located within the city limits appointed by the city council.

(3) One (1) voting member shall be appointed by the Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia.

(4) One (1) voting  member shall be appointed by the President of Columbia College.

(5) One (1) voting member shall be appointed by the Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools.

(6) One (1) voting member shall be appointed by the Chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

(7) Three (3) members shall be nonvoting liaison members as follows: Convention and Visitors Department director, or the director’s designee; the Parks and Recreation Department director, or the director’s designee; the Convention and Visitors Advisory Board chair, or the chair’s designee.

(b) The term of office of the members appointed by the city council shall be two (2) years. The members appointed by entities other than the city council shall serve for terms designated by the appointing authority and shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. To provide for staggered terms, of the members first appointed by the city council, three (3) members shall serve a term of one (1) year and four (4) members shall serve terms of two (2) years. Thereafter, appointments made by the city council shall be for terms of two (2) years, except that appointments to fill vacancies, occurring other than by expiration of terms, shall be filled for the unexpired term only.
(Ord. No. 24077, § 1, 11-4-19; Ord. No. 24842, § 1, 11-15-21)

Sec. 2-365.24. Officers; meetings; quorum; attendance. 

  1. The commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its voting members. The term of these officers shall be one (1) year. The chair shall preside at meetings. The vice-chair shall preside when the chair is absent or otherwise unable to preside.
  2. The commission shall meet at least quarterly at times and places accessible to the public to be determined by the commission. Special meetings may be called by the chair of the commission. All meetings shall be open to the public and shall comply with the requirements of the Missouri Sunshine Law and the Code of Ordinances of the City of Columbia.
  3. Seven (7) voting members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
  4. The chair is authorized to excuse any member from attendance at a meeting; provided that the member requested to be excused before the meeting. Any member who is absent, without being excused, from fifty (50) percent of the regular board meetings held in a calendar year shall automatically forfeit the office. Any member who is absent, without being excused, from three (3) consecutive regular meetings shall automatically forfeit the office. The chair shall promptly notify the city clerk and the appointing authority of any such vacancy.
    (Ord. No. 24077, § 1, 11-4-19)