LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 11, 2019) – The Tommy Hawkins Game-Changer Award, adopted in 2018 by the Wooden Award Program, recognizes a sports industry leader that uses their platform to create a positive experience in sports and community engagement. 

Kathryn S. Schloessman is the President of Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC). Founded in 1995, the mission of LASEC is to attract, host, promote and retain major sporting and entertainment events in Los Angeles. These events drive positive social, cultural, and economic impacts on the region and spotlight the destination as the undisputed Entertainment and Sports Capital of the World.

LASEC is a private nonprofit organization that is contracted by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, the city’s official destination marketing organization, to officially work on behalf of the City of Los Angeles.

Schloessman leads LASEC’s strategic efforts to bring major events to Los Angeles and partners with the City to host successful experiences, ensuring their desire to return in the future. 

Schloessman is one of the most outstanding people in Los Angeles that can be honored.  Her passion for sports and the people living in Southern California who are active and interested in sports and entertainment has been exemplary. Since she began serving as president of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission over 20 years ago, hundreds of thousands of people and their families have enjoyed a more vibrant life through sports and entertainment events in Los Angeles.  

Through the efforts of Schloessman and her team, Los Angeles is confirmed to host mega sporting events such as NCAA Men’s West Regional in 2020; NFL’s Super Bowl in 2022; College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023; and is a Candidate Host City for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.  LASEC also works closely with major entertainment award shows, such as the GRAMMY Awards.

The Wooden Award has had a long-standing relationship in the landscape of sports in the nation, in Southern California and in Los Angeles. During this time, we have witnessed the great impact Schloessman has had on the lives of people in our community. Tommy Hawkins also had a great passion for making life better for people and those whom would benefit from great sports and entertainment experiences. Schloessman changed the landscape of LASEC with her board, employees, volunteers, interns, sponsors and with those she offers her servant leadership to which benefit people across the region. 

The Wooden Award believes sharing what is good in America in Game-Changers which sends a powerful message to the young women and men being honored as Wooden Award All Americans. The Tommy Hawkins Award was initiated to honor former Wooden Award Board Member and Co-National Chair Tommy Hawkins, to recognize community engagement in sports and entertainment, two of Tommy’s passions. 

On behalf of the Wooden Award Steering Committee, and the Tommy Hawkins Game-Changer Award task force, congratulations to Kathryn Schloessman on being the 2019 recipient for your significant leadership in the landscape of sports and entertainment for community good!  

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she meets or exceeds the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07 & ’08), Maya Moore (’09 & ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), and last year’s recipients, A’ja Wilson of South Carolina and Jalen Brunson of Villanova.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.

For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.