Craig Bolerjack
Utah Jazz television broadcaster Craig Bolerjack has been named the Utah Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Craig is a two-time recipient of this award, not to mention an Emmy Award–winning play-by-play broadcaster. He is currently in his 15th season as the television voice of the Jazz.
“Craig’s passion for the sport of basketball and wealth of knowledge jump off the screen during every Jazz broadcast,” said Jeremy Castro, senior vice president of content and entertainment with LHMSE. “He has been an integral part of our television broadcast success, and we’re fortunate to have him calling the action for our fans each night the Jazz take the court.”
Steve Smith
Each year, Utah Business Magazine celebrates 40 young business professionals who are working to evolve Utah’s business landscape. Steven “Cobra” Smith was among the honorees during the February 9 luncheon in Salt Lake City. As head of security and vice president of public safety and guest services for the Jazz and Vivint SmartHome Arena, Smith is younger than most of his colleagues that hold similar positions with other NBA teams and live-entertainment venues, but he takes his responsibilities seriously.
But he also just loves working with people. He says, “Whether it’s leading a deployment for my public safety and guest services team, helping a guest in the arena, de-escalating a situation with concert-goers, or helping a Utah Jazz player stay safe in a foreign country, I relish the opportunity to engage with people in all different types of scenarios and use my training and background to ensure positive outcomes.”
BJ Vander Linden
Recently, CIO BJ Vander Linden had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the QuantumLeap conference. The topic was “Inviting and Sustaining Transformation in Our Businesses.” He talked about how businesses are embracing digital tools to engage with customers, and how the change in guest behavior around purchasing tickets digitally could lead to a more impersonal transaction. Thus, we need to utilize tools to engage with guests, developing relationships even when not face-to-face.
He also spoke to the Utah State University student chapter of the Association of Information Systems, discussing the possibilities of disruption, how companies can look internally to challenge and even disrupt themselves, the role of technology in this disruption, and the leadership needed. He gave advice to students on how to navigate entry-level positions through to leadership and the skills they should focus on developing along the way.