March 26, 2012 (Jackson) – Sports marketing pioneer and pop culture expert Marc Williams will speak to Belhaven students in Sports Administration and the School of Business on March 29, 2012 in the Barber Auditorium at 11:00 A.M.
He will discuss his career in sports and the big role education and spirituality played in his life. He will also tell students how to prepare and obtain careers in sports, music and entertainment.
Williams worked for three of the largest sports brands in the world: Champs Sports, Footaction and Reebok. While at Champs Sports, Williams was in charge of global marketing and helped them become a 1 billion dollar footwear and apparel brand. He is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost experts on branding, sports marketing, consumer behavior and hip-hop culture.
“It is an honor to speak to the students at Belhaven,” said Williams, “I love the idea of speaking at a university that encourages students to strive for excellence spiritually and intellectually; topics I am very passionate about. I love the city of Jackson, it is one of my favorite cities to visit in the United States.”
Dr. Howard Bartee, Jr., the Chair of the Sport Administration Department, feels Marc’s presence and message to the students will be invaluable. “We look forward to Marc Williams sharing with us some valuable experiences that let our students know that through desire, dedication and determination they can pursue their dreams in sports industry,” said Dr. Bartee.
Williams is the Founder and CEO of award-winning brand management consulting firm, Williams Communications, LLC. It is a full-service marketing firm specializing in event marketing, talent management and brand development. Some of their clients include: The NCAA and Hidden Beach Recordings. The company serves as the brand strategist for ESPN’s SportsCenter anchors Jay Harris and Sage Steele.
He was instrumental in negotiating College Football Bowl Game: The Champs Sports Bowl and he was the co-creator of the And 1 Mix Tape Tour.
The NCAA fully funded a grant for Williams to empower student athletes at Historically Black Colleges. Williams created an empowerment program designed for Morgan State University student athletes called BSFE (Bears Striving for Excellence).
Currently, Marc is a full-time doctoral student at West Virginia University in the College of Human Resources and Education. He earned the Provost Fellowship and was selected to be a Student Ambassador of the University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Sociology from William Paterson University and a Masters in Sport Management from the prestigious Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Belhaven stands among the select Christian colleges and universities that offer a unique general core curriculum encouraging the development of a personal worldview. The university believes a Christian worldview is a key to preparing men and women academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas.
Founded in 1883, Belhaven University now serves over 3,000 students from campuses in Jackson, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Chattanooga, Atlanta and online, offering traditional undergraduate degrees, graduate and adult degree programs, and online degree programs.