Sutton Named To United States Olympic And Paralympic Committee Foundation Board Of Trustees

Sutton, who lives in Winston-Salem, NC founded ISP Sports in 1992.  The company was acquired by IMG in 2010 to become IMG College, which he served as Chairman and President through 2014 when he was named Chairman emeritus.  ISP's core enterprises in multi-media, stadium seating and ticketing represented three of the IMG College portfolio of four national market-leading businesses. 

Sutton also serves on the boards of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the National Football Foundation, the Naismith Basketball Foundation, the Wyndham PGA Championship, and Wake Forest University, his alma mater.

In 2013, the United States Olympic Committee took an important step forward in its goal of increasing philanthropic support for Team USA's athletes and programs by launching the foundation which serves as the primary source of philanthropic resources for the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States.

"It is particularly gratifying to take my personal love of sports, and a career in college athletics that has been incredibly fulfilling, a step further by becoming part of the U.S. Olympic movement," Sutton said.  "Unlike most other national Olympic efforts, the U.S. Olympic Committee does not receive federal funding for programming.  The role of the foundation is crucial in supporting young athletes as they develop the talent and experience to compete internationally as a part of Team USA.  I am dedicated to doing what I can to help high-performance athletes achieve their dreams for success as they proudly represent the United States in the Olympics."

About the U.S. Olympic Committee foundation

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee foundation relies on the generosity of the American public to help U.S. athletes remain competitive with the rest of the world.  The United States stands apart from others because our Olympic and Paralympic teams are not just cheered by an enthusiastic national fan base, but also funded by one.  As the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States, the United States Olympic Committee is charged with supporting Team USA today, while generating resources for the team of tomorrow.

About Ben Sutton

Sutton is a graduate of Wake Forest School of Law (J.D., 1983) and Wake Forest University (B.A., 1980).  He was most recently Chairman and President of IMG College, the largest college sports sponsorship and media company in America, and the top college or professional sports property sales organization in the country (as named by industry trade, Sports Business Journal).  In addition to founding most of the core businesses of IMG College, he oversaw the meteoric growth of the company which now employs more than 1,000 people in over 100 locations throughout the United States.

At the conclusion of his term as Chairman and President of IMG College, the company had more than 450 contractual relationships with over 225 colleges and college athletic conferences.  IMG managed the multi-media rights for nearly 100 universities, providing services including corporate sponsorship sales, intellectual property, radio and television programming, publishing, team websites, stadia and arena video and signage, and numerous event and experiential marketing platforms. The company manages the largest radio network in the country, distributing more than 35,000 hours of programming to over 2,200 radio stations nationwide. In addition, IMG College produces and distributes nearly 5,000 hours of television programming to over 200 outlets, is the largest producer of college sports publications in America, and manages the most official major college sports websites in the U.S.  Additionally, IMG serves as the exclusive licensing and trademark protection agency for more than 200 colleges, universities, bowls, the NCAA, College Football Playoff, and the Heisman Trophy.  The company is also the market leader in both college sports ticketing and stadium seating with more than 125 university partners across the country.

Prior to his role as Chairman and President of IMG College, Sutton spent 18 years as Chairman and CEO for ISP Sports. He founded the company in 1992 and grew its multi-media business from its first partner Wake Forest to nearly 70 NCAA colleges and conferences.  He also engineered the acquisition and tremendous growth of the largest stadium seating provider in the country (IMG Stadium Seating, formerly ISP Stadium Seating) and ISP Ticket Solutions (now IMG Learfield Ticketing Solutions).  Today, those multi-media, ticketing and stadium seating enterprises comprise over 75% of the IMG College portfolio of national market-leading businesses. Before founding ISP, Sutton spent nine years as an athletic administrator at Wake Forest. 

In addition to being named one of the top or most powerful college sports executives in America by multiple publications, Sutton has received numerous awards including:

• Wake Forest University Distinguished Alumni award
• National Association of College Marketing Administrators Hall of Fame
• Order of the Long Leaf Pine (highest civilian honor in North Carolina)

Primary community, corporate and personal activities:

• Board of Trustees, Wake Forest University
• Board of Trustees, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
• Board of Trustees, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee foundation
• Board of Directors, National Football Foundation
• Board of Trustees, Naismith Basketball Foundation
• Board of Directors, Wyndham PGA Championship
• Board of Directors, Verger Capital Management
• Board of Directors, Winston-Salem Alliance
• Past Chairman, Board of Trustees, Forsyth Country Day School
• Board of Directors, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
• Board of Directors, Falk School of Sports Management at Syracuse University

The Sutton family has established a philanthropic foundation and is invested in many significant national and local causes, including:

• Sutton Recreation and Wellness Center at Wake Forest University (opened 2016)
• Sutton Sports Performance Center at Wake Forest University (under construction)
• Ben C. Sutton Scholarship at Wake Forest University
• Sutton Softball Field at Forsyth Country Day School (top high school softball stadium in U.S.)
• Family Life and Community Center at Knollwood Baptist Church (under construction)
• HopeWay Center (holistic psychiatric and wellness care)
• Samaritan Ministries (community center for the homeless)
• Ridgecroft School technology initiative

Sutton's holding company manages investments in a diversified portfolio of businesses including significant ownership interests in minor league baseball, Napa Valley winery, farming, technology, commercial and residential real estate, finance, restaurants (including Applebee's, Krystal and the award-winning Le Bilboquet in Atlanta), among others.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160725/392715

SOURCE Sutton Family Foundation