2023 Annual Report

The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create economic and social impact by leading the community’s efforts to attract, support, and promote youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting and recreational events.  The DSC seeks to maximize the potential of Durham’s sports facilities and venues, as well as provide leadership and guidance to the public and private sectors on developing athletic facilities and programs to positively benefit the quality of life of the citizens of Durham.

If sports are a true common denominator and force for good in our world, as I have seen time and time again throughout my life and career, I am proud to say that the future for Durham is bright. Spend any amount of time with the talented DSC team and you know they work every day to establish the Bull City as a sustainable championship hub, ensuring that the benefit of sport is inclusive and community-driven.

I joined the Board of Directors at the start of the fiscal year, witnessing firsthand the operational excellence Executive Director Marcus Manning, Deputy Director Kaila’Shea Menendez, and Assistant Director Lulu Black work to achieve. They’re committed to “celebrating and educating,” always erring on the side of innovation as they introduce Durham to national governing bodies, establish critical initiatives like the One Team, One Durham Fund (1T1D) to offset the rising costs for local youth participants, and continue to forge first-ever partnerships for Durham and the organization. They don’t shy away from transformative projects, like leading the charge behind a new indoor/outdoor sports complex to be built in Durham. They’re behind platforms and events like the Emerging Women in Sports Leadership Summit and Champion Durham Classic high school basketball invitational that provide everything from networking and professional development for women seeking careers in sport to more visibility for athletes competing in front of families and friends over the holidays. I am proud of what they have and will continue to accomplish on behalf of Durham.

Read on to learn more about the team’s recent progress in generating social and economic impact through sports. I would like to thank my fellow board members for providing leadership and guidance, our sponsors for believing in the work to be done, and the Durham residents who turned up and showed out to cheer on championship-level play.

At the start of the calendar year, we got the good word that the Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) voted to confirm the selection of North Carolina as host of the 2029 FISU World University Games, with Marcus and the Board of County Commissioner Chair Brenda Howerton in attendance as part of the state delegation in Lake Placid, New York for the signing ceremony. It will be the largest event ever hosted in North Carolina, as a sporting event second in size only to the Olympic Games in terms of global Olympic multi-sport competitions. With Duke and North Carolina Central University, Durham Technical Community College, the City and County all on board as hosts, it will also be a One team, One Durham-like effort. It will be a demonstration of the best of our community, carried upon the momentum of our staff, board members, sponsors, and community further buying into the vision and mission of the sports commission over the next few years and beyond.

For you to also witness firsthand what the DSC is undertaking, I hope to see you at one of the many championship events on the calendar, or at council meetings when Marcus and others share with elected officials progress on a new sports complex – or both. The future in Durham will be brightest with you standing side by side with Marcus, Kaila’Shea, and Lulu in their pursuits. Let’s build and sustain Durham’s sports culture, hand in hand committed to the community-driven work.

Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree,
Board Chair, 2022-23

Our board of directors is comprised of forward-thinking leaders in the Durham community dedicated to the future of sports in our region. Members provide guidance as the DSC continues to partner with and support Durham’s local sports ecosystem while recruiting more championship events to the Bull City.
DSC Board of Directors:

	Ingrid Wicker McCree, Ed.D. Chair Founder & CEO WM Leadership & Legacy Coaching, LLC		Susan Scott Vice-Chair Chief Growth Officer PBS North Carolina
	Mitch Moser​ Secretary/Treasurer Deputy Director of Athletics/ Resource Development and Management/CFO Duke University		Dan Hill Retired insurance broker- Former President of the Carolinas Golf Association- Former partner of the Orange County Speedway
	Bill Kalkhof Retired, former CEO of Downtown Durham Inc. (1993-2013)		Jonathon Leach Executive Director of Administration NCCU
	Umar Muhammad Professor of Sport Management/ Faculty Athletic Representative St. Augustine’s University		Scott Strickland Assistant General Manager – Operations Durham Bulls Baseball Club
	Ray Trapp Vice President of Strategic Engagement Research Triangle Foundation		Terrence Holt  President Holt Brothers, Inc.

The DSC is proud to have established relationships with key community partners. The following sponsors’ commitments and contributions have assisted the DSC in creating social and economic impact through sports in Durham.

In addition to corporate sponsors, the DSC would like to thank the individuals and community members who donated to the One Team, One Durham Fund. The One Team, One Durham Fund (1T1D) supports youth sports development in the area with grants awarded to local nonprofits monthly. Grants will be awarded up to $200 per recipient to 501(c)3 organizations operating in Durham, with up to five people from an organization eligible to apply.

The vision of the DSC is to engage the Durham community in supporting and promoting the sports spirit that exists both historically and presently, by: increasing the capacity of local sporting events, hosting events with strong participation rates, and working with national event owners to recruit sporting events that provide positive community impact.

To stay the course, the DSC follows a three-year strategic blueprint or business plan, with the end of FY23 marking the close of the latest iteration. Three areas of focus since 2021 have been facility development, sales and organizational development, and communicating the influence of the DSC. While there’s much progress to share throughout this annual report – as well as on the facility front in the following section – other notable highlights include:

• Identifying new sporting events to support in Durham, like the Emerging Women in Sports Leadership Summit, presented by Blue Cross NC. It was the first time the Women Leaders in College Sports organization had partnered with a sports commission while providing a platform to foster community and professional development for young professionals in the region.
• Establishing more opportunities for Durham’s youth through the One Team, One Durham Fund (1T1D). It supports youth sports development in the area with grants awarded to local nonprofits to offset rising costs.
• Contracting Intrepid Marketing Group to manage the DSC’s social media accounts and lead PR efforts. From December 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, Intrepid’s content published across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram earned 554,087 impressions and more than 800 new followers. In Q1 of 2023, Intrepid secured 18 media articles about the DSC, its work and related events, five of which were national hits

At the center of creating economic and social impact through sports, it should come as no surprise the DSC is prepared to advocate for sports facility development and enhancements at every turn. Through research, stakeholder listening sessions, and feasibility studies, four success factors have been identified for a future facility in Durham:

• It serves as a community asset.
• It expands opportunities for participation for people of all ages in the Durham community.
• It is a significant driver of economic impact.
• It operates with a sustainable business model.

Marcus Manning, executive director of the DSC, and Susan Amey, president & CEO of Discover Durham, have successfully presented the concept of a new indoor/outdoor facility in Durham to City and County elected officials at public meetings this spring. With their support and feedback in mind, the duo is preparing to present progress and potential next steps to council members and commissioners this fall. At the following links, the City Council presentation starts at the 2:17:24 mark of the June 8, 2022, work session and at 1:30:11 during the Board of County Commissioner’s June 26, 2022, regular session.

The following charts reflect the income and expenses of the DSC from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. With fewer events to create, host, or support due to the ongoing pandemic, the DSC has retained funds in anticipation of fueling future activity. Actual FY23 expenses were, therefore, more concentrated in operational areas than what was originally planned.

The DSC offers students firsthand experience, helping to jumpstart talented young people’s careers in sports.

With brand awareness in mind, the DSC has engaged with social media followers by sharing upcoming events and other highlights. Be sure to follow @DurhamNCSports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay connected.