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Majority Owner
Robert L. Johnson made history as the first African-American to become the majority owner of a professional sports organization when the NBA Board of Governors granted him the expansion NBA Charlotte Bobcats on January 10, 2003.
In his first months of ownership, Johnson moved swiftly to assemble the NBA’s 30th franchise, donated $1 million to the YMCA, highlighting a community-minded organizational approach, created a new basketball identity for Charlotte and broke ground on a new Uptown arena.
In his first years as an NBA owner, Johnson has successfully followed through on his pledge to the City of Charlotte to combine great citizens off the court with great players on the court. Johnson also created the Charlotte Jumper Classic, an elite Grand Prix horse show jumping competition held annually in the Queen City, which benefits the Bobcats Youth Foundation.
In 2003, Johnson was named by Sports Illustrated as the most influential minority in sports, while The Sporting News tabbed him the second-most powerful owner in sports. Starting a large business from the beginning is nothing new for Johnson. He founded and served as CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET) from 1980-2005. In 2001, Johnson sold BET to Viacom, Inc., for approximately $3 billion and formed the RLJ Companies, where he owns or holds interest in companies operating in the hospitality/restaurant, real estate, finance, gaming and entertainment/media industries.
The RLJ Companies is comprised of core assets that include:
Johnson serves on the following boards of directors: NBA Board of Governors, Lowe’s Companies, International Management Group (IMG), American Film Institute, Strayer Education, Inc., Johns Hopkins University, The Business Council, Wal-Mart Advisory Council and Deutsche Bank Advisory Board.
Johnson is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Johnson maintains duel residences in Charlotte and Washington, DC.
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An NBA legend who virtually rewrote the league’s record book, Michael Jordan joined the Charlotte Bobcats ownership group in June 2006 and will use his basketball expertise while serving as the team’s Managing Member of Basketball Operations.
Jordan enjoyed a stellar 13-year career with the Chicago Bulls and topped the NBA in scoring a record 10 times. His career scoring average of 30.1 points is the highest in NBA history and, with 32,292 points, he ranks third on the all-time scoring list.
Jordan led Chicago to six NBA Championship titles and was named NBA Finals MVP during each of those series. A five-time NBA MVP in the regular season, he became the only player to win back-to-back regular season and Finals MVP awards when he accomplished the feat in 1990-91 and 1991-92.
A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan burst onto the national stage as a freshman at the University of North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA Championship with a dramatic game-winning shot against Georgetown.
Following a standout college career during which he was a two-time College Player of the Year and First Team All-America, Jordan was chosen by Chicago with the third pick of the 1984 NBA Draft. Jordan is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, most famously as a member of the 1992’s “Dream Team.”
Off the court, Jordan has also proven to be a successful businessman. Since its creation, his Jordan Brand (an elite division of Nike) has been an innovator of athletic shoes and apparel. Brand Jordan has grown to become a market leader under Jordan’s creative design input.
As one of the world’s most popular and recognizable figures, Jordan’s endorsement portfolio includes Gatorade, Upper Deck and Hanes, among others.
In 2004, Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. Among Jordan’s other business ventures are several thriving restaurants. Jordan supports many charitable causes including the James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club in Chicago, the Jordan Institute for Families at the University of North Carolina, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and many others through the M & J Endowment Fund. His annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational golf tournament has raised more than $2 million for several worthy charities since its inception.
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A talented sports executive with experience as a player, coach, agent, basketball operations administrator and sports marketer, Fred A. Whitfield was named President & Chief Operating Officer of Bobcats Sports & Entertainment in July of 2006. In his role, Whitfield oversees all business operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, Time Warner Cable Arena and the Bobcats Youth Foundation.
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Whitfield brings a portfolio that includes Brand Jordan, a division of Nike, Inc., Nike, Inc., Falk Associates Management Enterprises (F.A.M.E.), Achievements Unlimited Basketball School, HoopTee Celebrity Golf Classic and the Washington Wizards.
Whitfield most recently served as Director of Business and Legal Affairs for Brand Jordan, where he managed endorsements and sports marketing strategy and execution for the elite division of Nike. Brand Jordan’s clients include some of the top athletes in professional sports, including Ray Allen, Carmelo Anthony, Marvin Harrison, Richard Hamilton, Derek Jeter and Roy Jones, Jr.
From 2000-03, he had his first tenure with an NBA team when Whitfield served as Director of Player Personnel and Assistant Legal Counsel for the Washington Wizards. While there he was responsible for the team’s salary cap administration and contractual issues.
Prior to that position, Whitfield served as director of player development for Nike Basketball, where he was responsible for negotiating endorsement contracts and overseeing all business relationships for over 150 NBA players. His start in sports began with F.A.M.E. – one of the industry’s most prestigious sports management firms – as Director of the Carolinas Region, during which time he lived in Charlotte.
True to his Carolina roots, the Southeast Guilford High School graduate is the Founder and Director of Achievements Unlimited Basketball School, a camp in Greensboro started in 1985 that combines teaching fundamental basketball skills, stressing the importance of academics and living a life free of substance abuse. Annually numerous sports celebrities visit, including Michael Jordan, Bruce Bowen, Dell Curry, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Antawn Jamison, and Alonzo Mourning.
A 1980 graduate of Campbell University, Whitfield was an all-conference basketball player and entered the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He earned a B.B.A. (Economics) and then completed his M.B.A. (Marketing) at Campbell in marketing while serving as Assistant Basketball Coach for the Camels.
From there, he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central School of Law where he served as Student Bar Association President. He established a private law practice in Greensboro prior to joining F.A.M.E.
Whitfield and his wife, Mary, live in Charlotte.
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Greg Economou was named Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for Bobcats Sports & Entertainment in September of 2006, joining the team from the NBA league office, where he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Economou’s responsibilities include brand marketing, including research, merchandising, advertising and broadcast operations; experiential marketing, including game presentation and grassroots programming; community and charity relations; communications; ticket sales, service and operations; and partnership marketing.
In joining the Bobcats, Economou brought 16 years of team, league and sponsorship marketing experience to help grow the franchise’s business, as well as the NBA brand at the local level.
Prior to his stint at the league office, he was the Managing Director & CEO of BRANDTHINK, a management consulting firm specializing in sports marketing and management strategy development. Economou was responsible for helping sports properties – including the Houston Rockets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Philips Arena, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Dale Earnhardt Inc. – achieve their business objectives through a variety of services and programs.
A 1988 graduate of the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in Communications and History, Economou was a member of the Huskies’ 1988 NIT Championship team. He also played professionally in Europe. He and his wife, Betsy, have three sons, Rip, Luke and A.J.
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Jared F. Bartie joined Bobcats Sports & Entertainment as Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel in January of 2007. In this role, he oversees all administrative functions for the Bobcats and Time Warner Cable Arena. His duties include managing all legal matters on behalf of Bobcats Sports & Entertainment and overseeing the organization’s finance and human resources departments. He also works closely with the basketball operations department. Bartie also manages the staff responsible for day-to-day operations of Time Warner Cable Arena, including event booking, security, IT and hospitality services.
Prior to joining the Bobcats, Bartie held the position of Vice President of Marketing & Team Business Operations for the NBA, where he consulted with nine teams (including the Bobcats) on improving their overall business operations and revenue generating functions, with particular emphasis on fan development, ticket sales, corporate partnerships, public relations and community outreach. He also provided strategic business counsel to NBA teams regarding methods of improving team branding, marketing and advertising.
During an extensive career in both the sports and entertainment industries, Bartie has also served as General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer for the United States Tennis Association and Vice President of New Business Development for Radio City Entertainment. In addition, he was one of the executives responsible for launching the XFL, where he served as Vice President of Legal Affairs, and has held senior positions with World Wrestling Entertainment, Dennis Publishing (publisher of Maxim Magazine), Scholastic, and Black Entertainment Television. He began his career as an associate in the Labor and Employment group and served in the Sports Law group of Proskauer Rose LLP (formerly Proskauer Rose Goetz and Mendelsohn).
Bartie earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from American University. A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bartie was awarded the 2006 Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award from the Cambridge branch of the NAACP. Bartie serves on the boards of Northwestern University School of Law, the Sports Lawyers Association and the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition. He is married to his wife, Wendy.
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Michael Behrman is in his third season with Bobcats Sports & Entertainment. As Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for all team financial operations, including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, treasury, and all financing activities. The Bobcats’ NBA finance chief also assists with salary cap and player contract management. In addition to the team, he oversees the Time Warner Cable Arena financial operations.
Behrman has more than 20 years experience in corporate finance, strategic planning and the capital markets with organizations including Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch International, Disney Sports and the Disney Internet Group. With Merrill Lynch, he had capital markets assignments in New York, London and Tokyo. At Disney, he was part of the opening team of Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Behrman earned an M.B.A. in Finance and Corporate Accounting from the University of Rochester and a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University. At Princeton, he was an All-Ivy League football tight end.
Behrman holds the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation (CFA), and is a member of the North Carolina CFA society. He also serves on the Executive Advisory Committee at the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon Graduate School of Business. He and his wife, Colleen, have two daughters, Brianne and Cailan, and they recently welcomed son Daniel, born December 20, 2006.
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Executive Director of the Charlotte Jumper Classic
LaRita Barber manages the Bobcats comprehensive charity and community program outreach efforts including programs focused on children and youth, fitness and recreation, education and health and wellness. She also serves as President of the Bobcats Youth Foundation, which supports worthy non-profit organizations serving children and youth. Barber also oversees the Foundation’s signature fundraising event, the annual Charlotte Jumper Classic.
Giving back to her community, Barber is a member of several boards, including the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, UNC Charlotte Athletic Foundation, Mecklenburg County Arts & Science Council and Wachovia Championship Champions for Education. She is also heavily involved with the Charlotte area girl scouts.
A native Charlottean, Barber previously served as the Senior Associate Director of the Urban Institute at UNC Charlotte, Vice President of Small Business and Area Councils for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Director of the internship program at Queens University. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Barber and her husband, Sam, have two sons, Julian and Jordan.
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Seth Bennett joined the Bobcats in September of 2006 as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and moved to Vice President of Experiential Marketing in December of 2006. Bennett is responsible for the Bobcats event presentation, special events, grassroots marketing, arena marketing and technical operations.
Prior to joining the organization, Bennett was the Owner and Founding Principal of The Event Authority, where he produced 400 live events and negotiated corporate partner contributions for college and high school athletic programs and various entertainment events. He also established a national client and sponsorship base that included Nike, Burger King and the Kings of the Courts national tour, Brand Jordan, Geico, FBR Inc., Foot Locker, Nationwide Insurance, ALLTEL and Boost Mobile.
Bennett has produced nine Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Football Classics; the Jordan Brand All-American Basketball Classic, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City; and the corporate entertainment for the widely popular PGA Tour FBR Open in Phoenix. Bennett also produced the HoopTee Celebrity Golf Classic and major college football games featuring the University of Southern California and Virginia Tech.
Prior to his jump into entrepreneurship, Bennett spent eight years in intercollegiate athletic marketing, promotions, event/game operations and advertising at North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Bennett, who is a member of the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Charlotte, was a football player at N.C. A&T and earned his B.A. in Public Relations in 1993. Bennett and his wife, Michelle, have one son, Seth Michael.
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Jason Brannon was promoted to Vice President of Marketing in December of 2005, and assigned to oversee the newly-created Grassroots Marketing department in December of 2006. Brannon manages a schedule of dynamic events, brand-awareness programming and community outreach efforts that deliver the excitement, accessibility and interactivity of Bobcats basketball to fans throughout the Carolinas. Such programs include the team’s outer-market preseason games, the Bobcats Carolinas Caravan and the Junior Bobcats youth basketball program. Brannon has been with the Bobcats since the inception of the franchise, coming on board as an Advertising Manager in October of 2003.
Breaking into professional sports after graduating from Davidson College, Brannon joined the Charlotte Hornets’ media relations department as an assistant in the summer of 1991, and eventually took on the role of Assistant Director of Media Relations in 1993. Switching gears in 1995, Brannon became Game Operations Director for the Hornets and the Sting in 1996. After the Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002, Brannon rejoined the Sting in the same capacity under new ownership in February of 2003.
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Brannon is married to his wife, Kristi.
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Ed Lewis is the Bobcats’ representative for developing local and state government relationships.
Before joining the organization, Lewis was Vice President of Corporate Affairs for BET on Jazz: The Jazz Channel. Lewis also worked in the cable industry for Telecommunications, Inc. (TCI); District Cablevision, Inc; and District Cable Advertising. Lewis joined BET Networks in 1993 and served roles in network operations, consumer affairs and marketing.
Lewis is on the boards of directors at Discovery Place and WTVI Public Television, and serves on the advisory boards of the Mint Museum and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. He is also a member of the Charlotte Rotary, as well as a member of the Business Committee on Higher Education for the Institute for Emerging Issues.
Lewis earned his B.A. from Howard University and an M.A. from Occidental College. He has four children -- Todd, Kimberly, Derek and Barry -- and five grandchildren.
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Kay Lowery joined the Bobcats in April of 2003 and is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s human resources practices, including recruiting, compensation, benefits and employee relations.
Before joining the Bobcats she served as Human Resources Manager for J.D. Edwards in Charlotte, where she facilitated the human resources function during the company’s acquisition of YOUcentric. She was part of YOUcentric during that company’s beginning and implemented the company’s benefits and human resources policies.
Lowery previously worked for Berenfield Containers as human resources administrator and also worked for the Daily Herald Newspaper’s human resources department in suburban Chicago after graduating from the University of Iowa. She holds a professional human resources certification.
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Chris Marciani joined Bobcats Sports & Entertainment as Vice President of Partnership Marketing in January of 2007. Marciani oversees the Bobcats existing partnership marketing relationships, while also developing new marketing strategies.
A seasoned executive with 10 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry, Marciani joined the Bobcats from NASCAR, where he served as Senior Account Manager and spent time managing partners, including Allstate, AutoZone, Callaway, Dodge, Ingersoll Rand, Office Depot, Sunoco, Tylenol, Unilever and USG.
Prior to joining NASCAR, Marciani served as Manager of Corporate Partnerships for the Arena Football League. While working with the AFL, Marciani was responsible for developing new business and activating corporate partnership deals. Before that, he served as Director of Client Services for SME, which was later bought by SFX Sports Group. In his role as Director of Client Services, Marciani was primarily responsible for managing and selling marketing and branding services. Marciani first entered the sports business in 1996 with the Collegiate Licensing Company, where he served as University Services Assistant.
Marciani received a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Stephanie, were married September 15, 2007.
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Mike Tomon joined Bobcats Sports & Entertainment in June of 2007 as Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service. Tomon oversees all ticket sales and retention efforts, including suite sales, premium sales, season ticket sales and group sales, as well as premium and season ticket services.
Prior to joining the Bobcats, Tomon spent nearly four years with the Phoenix Suns, where he most recently served as Senior Director of Sales & Guest Experience for the Suns, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and the Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL. While there, Tomon played an instrumental role in helping the Suns sell out the 2007-08 season in advance for the first time in a decade. He is also credited with helping build one of the top tier sales and service programs in the NBA.
Tomon began his NBA career in his hometown of Cleveland, where he spent two years with the Cavaliers organization before moving to the Suns in 2003.
He is a 2001 graduate of Georgetown University, where he was a member of the Hoyas football team. Tomon is married to his wife, Lauren.
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