Tom Walker serves as Chief Financial Officer for the Dallas Cowboys organization and for the Jones Family Office, managing diverse financial interests including real estate, oil and gas, and tech endeavors. He previously served at KPMG in a variety of roles across income and transfer tax for high-net-worth individuals, international tax and legal for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and global risk for KPMG in North American and European offices. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for GameSquare, a company that helps brands and game publishers connect with young audiences. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University.

A former USA Today Texas Player of the Year and standout on the basketball court at Texas A&M, Jimmy Smith now serves as chief operating and financial officer for FC Dallas in addition to serving as chair of the Dallas Sports Commission and chair-elect of the Visit Dallas Advisory Board. He formerly worked with Southwest Sports Group through his job at accounting firm Arthur Anderson; in that role he worked on the construction of the American Airlines Center, a venue for which he then served as director of finance. At FC Dallas, Smith is leading the renovation of Toyota Stadium and oversees operations there, at the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and at MoneyGram Soccer Park in Dallas.

Rob Matwick serves as Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, for the Texas Rangers. He has been with the Rangers since June 2008, having served as an Executive Vice President of Ballpark Operations and Business Operations. He is in his 40th season in Major League Baseball; in addition to the Rangers, he has worked with the Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers. Rob currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau. He recently worked with the city and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce on a successful campaign to bring the National Medal of Honor Museum to Arlington this year. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina at Aiken and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Ronnie Fauss is Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Dallas Mavericks, an organization he has served since 1999. His roles with the Mavs have included Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Ronnie worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers. In addition to his work with the Mavericks, Ronnie is an accomplished singer-songwriter. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University.

Bob Heere is a Full Professor in the Department of Director of Sports Management in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas. In 2013, the North American Society for Sport Management awarded him the status of NASSM Research Fellow, and in 2018, the Sport Marketing Association awarded him the SMA Research Fellow. From 2018 to 2020, he served as President Elect, President, and Past-President of the North American Society of Sport Management. He serves as an editorial board member for Sport Management Review, a leading journal in the field of sport management. Prior to coming to UNT, Bob held appointments at the University of South Carolina, the University of Texas at Austin, Florida State University, Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies, and Auckland University of Technology. In 2012, he published his first book in his home country, the Netherlands; the book, Het Olympisch Speeltje, is a critical account of the Dutch ambition to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Matt Walker, Ph.D., is a Professor of Management at the University of North Texas and directs curriculum development across the degree tracks. Dr. Walker teaches classes in business planning, talent management, and corporate partnerships. His research and consultancies focus on social program evaluations and the strategic processes underpinning organizational outreach efforts across numerous industry sectors. He has participated in more than 50 funded research projects for sport (and related) organizations domestically and around the world, including the PGA of America, National Football League, World Golf Foundation, Nike, Barclays Bank, USA Archery, Easton Sports Development Foundation, Fundación Conconcreto, Fulham Football Club Foundation, England Institute of Sport, Fight-4-Change (among others). Walker has co-authored a scholarly text book, numerous marketing book chapters and industry reports, and has written or contributed to more than 75 peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. His research and consultancy work has offered marketing and management solutions to businesses, NGO’s, and government agencies helping to improve and enhance social and strategic programming efforts.