New Explore Evansville President and CEO Tom White is approaching the agency’s top job with one keyword — growth — in mind for strengthening the city’s portfolio of tourism-related event offerings.

White’s most recent career stop was with Visit Mobile, Alabama’s northernmost Gulf inlet. Drawing connections to the boost in meetings, conventions, and sports tourism that the Southern city of 201,367 has seen, White says Evansville is capable of the same.

“I do feel like we can have some immediate success here but also sustain that growth over the next five, 10 years in Evansville,” says White, who spent two years as Visit Mobile’s vice president of leisure and convention sales.

As reported in December 2024/January 2025 Evansville Business, youth sports tourism in Evansville has boomed in recent years thanks to aggressive marketing and tournament-ready venues such as Deaconess Sports Park, Goebel Soccer Complex, and Deaconess Aquatic Center. White vows to maintain that focus and up the ante in supporting the Evansville Regional Sports Commission’s mission to attract high-profile sports events.

“The largest market segment for us is sports tourism,” White says, who adds that he wants to learn “where we are and we’re going to grow with our current assets. And we’re going to add assets in the future, which is going to keep us at the top, competing on a national level.”

The city also has room to increase its convention and meeting business, White says. “We have a quality convention center with the Old National Events Plaza, and our Ford Center is incredible,” he says. “Plus, we have meeting spaces throughout the community, and some of them are historic, unique spots. Meetings, small meetings, and then some mid-size conventions are something that we can continue to grow.”

How to accomplish that? White explains that it comes down to connecting with event planners, asking what they’re looking for, and selling what Evansville provides.

“It is very competitive when you talk about other destinations where they’re all going after those meetings and conventions,” he says. “… (Larger communities) bring a lot to the table. But what they also bring are some things that people push back on: higher prices to the room rates, a higher cost of getting in there, they charge for parking. And when you start adding up all the little things, all of a sudden, the overall cost of that convention is higher.”

In a market Evansville’s size, “your dollar goes farther,” White says. “Convention attendees would spend a lot less money in our community.”

Connections are important in the tourism industry, White says, and he brings plenty of those to the River City. Before taking his position at Visit Mobile, White spent more than 20 years in Huntsville, Alabama. Most of that time, he served as director of sales and outreach with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and he also was the marketing director for Yedla Management Company, a Huntsville-based manager of hotels.

Yedla’s properties fan across Alabama and in markets such as Orlando, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Brentwood, Tennessee. “It was spread out, and my connections on a national level helped those properties,” White says. (As it happens, Evansville-area residents have convenient access to all three cities. Evansville Regional Airport travelers destined for Orlando can reach it through twice-weekly direct air service from Allegiant Air and Breeze Airways. Passengers bound for Charlotte can get there via daily direct flights offered by American Airlines. Road trippers have to put rubber to road for only 151 miles to reach the Tennessee capital.)

Earlier in White’s career, he worked as a general sales manager for Shoe Carnival, which was founded in Evansville. He was born in Nuremberg, Germany, while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. He considers the Savannah, Georgia, area his home.

White says he was drawn to Explore Evansville by the area’s potential. He succeeded Alexis Berggren, who left in December to become general manager of the Charlotte (North Carolina) Convention Center.

“Alexis and the team have done a tremendous job of really paving the foundation of what we’re doing,” White says. “I think I can bring a lot of experience and connections within the sale of tourism and marketing, and we can start a sustained, steady growth over the next several years, in all categories. It’s not like sports is going to lead us, or meetings and conventions. I think each category is going to grow gradually on its own.”

A long-unused, aging outdoor courtyard makes up the eastern portion of Santa Cruz County’s Juvenile Hall, showing its age with a weedy yard and cracked blacktop.

But a group of probation officials and youth advocates who gathered there Wednesday have big plans for the space.

These include a new 6,850-square-foot gymnasium, a greenhouse and a farm-to-table garden that will supply the renovated kitchen, which itself will serve as a teaching culinary classroom.

The Juvenile Hall facility at 3650 Graham Hill Road officially broke ground on the $23 million project, which will be the most substantial improvement project in the building’s 57-year history, said county spokesman Jason Hoppin.

The renovation also includes renovation and upgrades throughout the building, including two classrooms, air conditioning, restrooms, training and program rooms, storage and equipment spaces, new cell doors, laundry, day rooms and a new central control space. 

The work is funded through two rounds of Senate Bill 81 funding from the Board of State and Community Corrections.

The county has had the funding for 18 years, as well as the plans for the work. But the project has been delayed by ever-evolving rules from the state fire marshal, Santa Cruz County Probation Chief Fernando Giraldo said. 

“It seems like every two years there was a new fire marshal,” he said. 

And every one would bring a list of updated rules, he said.

“That was one of the biggest hurdles,” Giraldo said. “I think this would have been done in half the time.”

On an average day, nine young people who are tangled in the legal system, and who have been determined to be ineligible for community supervision are housed at Juvenile Hall. But for those kids—some of whom graduate from high school while incarcerated—the new facility will be their de facto home and school.

“This facility will be more than just bricks and mortar,” said Probation Chief Fernando Giraldo. “It will be a space for healing, learning, growth and wellness. Because no matter what someone’s past may hold, every young person deserves dignity, opportunity and people who support their success.”

Construction is expected to be completed in late 2026. The facility will remain operational throughout the duration of the project.

The Edmonds School District honored its top scholar athletes and coaches at the annual Scholar-Athlete and Community Recognition awards celebration banquet Wednesday, May 28 at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

The Director of Ceremonies was Vince DeMiero, who teaches journalism and serves as a broadcaster for sporting events at Mountlake Terrace High School. He noted that the awards are designed not only to celebrate the athletes but “to acknowledge the important role our community plays in shaping the experience of our student athletes.”

“Tonight, you will meet an outstanding group of 16 young student-athletes whose athletic, academic and community accomplishments will inspire you,” DeMiero said. 

The event was coordinated by Edmonds School District Athletic Director Angie McGuire.

A coach from each high school was also recognized for his or her outstanding work in support of student-athletes and programs, selected by each school’s administration. The coach award included a gift certificate compliments of Anthony’s HomePort Restaurant and a professional development stipend.

The coaches are:

Alex Walde, who coaches cross country at Mountlake Terrace High School, was also honored but was unable to attend the event.

Here are those honored in the order the awards were presented, along with the individuals and organizations who funded the scholarships:

John Patterson, Meadowdale High School

A four-year letter winner in both cross country and track, John Patterson served as team captain for both sports his senior year. Throughout his high school career, he has earned numerous accolades, including multiple trips to the state championships. He is one of the few athletes in school history to qualify for state in both track and cross country all four years. With a 3.23 GPA, he plans to attend Umpqua Community College, where he will continue competing in both track and cross country while earning his associate’s degree.

Patterson received an award of a $ 1,000 sponsored by the Richard Gourley Scholarship

Isabella Fallarme, Meadowdale High School

Isabella Fallarme is a two-sport letter winner in soccer and track, serving as captain of the soccer team both her junior and senior seasons and was also a track captain this past spring. She has earned numerous accolades, including First Team All-Wesco, Team MVP and multiple academic honors — such as AP Scholar with Honors and Student of the Quarter.  With a 3.97 GPA, she plans to attend Seattle Pacific University next fall where she is a direct-admit to the nursing program — and will continue to play soccer for the Falcons.

Fallarme received an award of $ 1,000 sponsored by the Terri McMahan Scholarship.

Mika Serafinas, Edmonds-Woodway High School

Mika Serafinas excelled as a four-year letter winner on the wrestling and football teams. A two-time state participant in wrestling and captain his senior year, he helped his team win its 11th straight Wesco South wrestling title. As a junior, he finished 2nd in the district tournament before heading to state and received the Wrestling Spirit award as a senior. Serafinas is a member of the National Honors Society and will take his 3.7 GPA to the University of Washington, where he will pursue his undergraduate degree.

Serafinas received an award of $1,000 sponsored by the Matt Caldwell Memorial Scholarship and the Terry Ray Scholarship.

Aubrianna Sadler, Meadowdale High School

A four year letter-winner in both soccer and track, Aubrianna Sadler was selected to be the team captain in two sports, demonstrating her peers’ belief in her ability to lead and to inspire others around them. Her hard work and commitment to excellence earned her multiple accolades, including Team MVP, All-Wesco 1st team, and multiple trips to state for track. With a 3.97 GPA, she plans to attend the University of Oregon, where she will pursue a degree in psychology.

Sadler received an award of $1,000 sponsored by the Meadowdale High School Sports Boosters.

Hunter Nuckols, Mountlake Terrace High School

Hunter Nuckols competed in football for three years and boys’ basketball for four years. He was named All Wesco South Honorable Mention for Offensive Line, team captain of the varsity football team, and was selected as his school’s Athlete of the Week and MaxPreps Player of the Game this past football season. With a GPA of 3.9, Nickolas will be attending the University of Washington, Bothell where he will study Business Marketing.

Nuckols received an award of $1,500 sponsored by the family of Jim and Kitty Clemans and the Ron Phillips Memorial Scholarship.

Vivianna Adkins, Edmonds-Woodway High School

Vivianna Adkins is a two-sport standout in both soccer and track, where she served as team captain for both sports as a senior. She was voted the soccer team’s most inspirational player this season along with earning honorable mention all-league in soccer. A full-time International Baccalaureate student and graduating with a 3.97 GPA, Adkins will attend the University of Santa Barbara with plans to major in psychology.

Adkins received an award of $1,500 sponsored by Maggie King Girls and Women in Sport Scholarship, My Neighborhood News Network and ESD Coaches and Community.

Matias Andry, Lynnwood High School

Matias Andry is an impressive three-sport athlete, participating in cross country, swim and track. He was a captain of the track team his junior year and then served as captain for the varsity cross country, swim and track teams as a senior. A member of Black Student Union, Link Crew and the ASL Club at LHS, he will graduate with a 3.3 GPA. He plans to attend Central Washington University to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Andry received an award of $1,500 sponsored by the Nicholas Ryan Harrison Memorial Scholarship and Limback Lumber.

Nathan Perez, Meadowdale High School

Nathan Perez is a dedicated three-sport athlete who has earned varsity letters in tennis, swim and track. He served as a team captain for track his junior year and was selected as captain for the varsity tennis, swim and track teams as a senior. His leadership and commitment earned him recognition as the Tennis Team MVP and the recipient of his team’s Sportsmanship Award. With a 3.71 GPA, he plans to attend Gonzaga University, where he will pursue a degree in biomedical engineering.

Perez received an award of $2,000 sponsored by Sno-King Youth Club and the Johanson Law Group.

Sonita Chen, Mountlake Terrace High School

Sonita Chen is a four-year letter winner in both cross country and track and is a two-time state cross country participant. As captain of the cross country team both junior and senior seasons, she has had a tremendous impact at her school, receiving Athlete of the Week honors. She also plays the violin and is the concertmaster for the chamber orchestra. With a GPA of 4.0, she will be attending the University of Washington, Seattle where she will pursue a degree in neuroscience and biology.

Chen received an award of $2,000 sponsored by the Tyler Roberts Memorial Scholarship and ESD coaches and community.

Luke Boland, Edmonds-Woodway High School

A standout on both the basketball court and baseball field, Luke Boland served as captain of the basketball and baseball teams his senior year. In his junior year he helped lead his team to a third-place finish in the state baseball tournament and during his senior season, helped his team take second in the state basketball tournament. Outside of school, he has volunteered at youth basketball camps and helped train young athletes. He will attend San Diego State with plans to pursue an engineering degree.

Boland received an award of $2,000 sponsored by the Bryan Rogers Memorial Scholarship and Pacific Little League.

Josie Vander Ploeg, Mountlake Terrace High School

After starting out high school on the cross country team, Josie Vander Ploeg challenged herself to switch sports to swim and participated in both tennis and swim her junior and senior season. Outside of athletics, she devotes her time to her many AP and Honors classes, and she has dedicated over 10 years to ballet, four years to modern dance, and one year to jazz. With a 4.0 GPA, Vander Ploeg will attend George Fox University, where she plans to study pre-med.

Vander Ploeg received an award of $2,000 sponsored by the Jim and Karen Miller Memorial Scholarship.

Shifa Hanchinamani, Lynnwood High School

A four-year member of her school’s swim and basketball teams, Shifa Hanchinamani served as captain for both teams her senior year. She is president of her school’s Women’s Care Club, a member of the National Honor Society. Graduating with a 3.9 GPA, and with her associate’s degree from Edmonds College, she will head to the University of Washington, Seattle in pursuit of a bachelor of sciences — with the eventual goal of becoming an anesthesiologist assistant.

Hanchinamani received an award of $2,500 sponsored by the Amy Branch Memorial Scholarship and the Kelly and Stephanie Fahey Scholarship

Isaac Williams, Mountlake Terrace High School

Isaac Williams is a four-year member of the cross country, track and wrestling programs, and was elected captain of the cross country and wrestling teams both his junior and senior seasons. A standout on the mat, he received All Wesco 3A South First Team honors for wrestling and is a two-time District 1 champion in the 150 lb category — and placed 8th in the Mat Classic state wrestling tournament. With a GPA of 3.7, he plans to attend Brigham Young University to study exercise science.

Williams received an award of $2,500 sponsored by the Mountlake Terrace High School Athletic Boosters.

Ofelia Matevosyan, Lynnwood High School

Ofelia Matevosyan is a three-year letter winner in both swimming and track, serving as swim team captain during her senior season. A versatile athlete, she took her sophomore year away from swim to join her school’s competitive dance team. She also serves as the school’s ASB President and works as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Lynnwood Pool. Graduating with a 3.9 GPA, she will attend the University of Washington, Seattle and major in educational and social sciences.

Mateosyan received an award of $3,000 sponsored by the Mike Pittis Scholarship.

Grace Fitting, Edmonds-Woodway High School

Grace Fitting is a standout on the soccer field, the wrestling mat and on the tennis court. She participated in all three sports during her four years of high school and has served the role of team captain in each. She helped build her school’s wrestling program into a regional powerhouse, finishing 6th in state as a junior and 5th as a senior. Graduating with a 3.98 GPA and her associate’s degree from Edmonds College, she will attend Oregon State University, where she plans to pursue a degree in architectural engineering.

Fitting received an award of $3,000 sponsored by Edmonds-Woodway Athletic Booster Club and the Alfi Real Estate Team.

Malik Tunkara, Lynnwood High School

A three year letter winner in wrestling, Malik Tunkara was voted Most Inspirational teammate as a senior.  At his school, he serves as the Eco Club president, TSA treasurer and a member of Photo Club, Key Club, Chess Club, Rare Disease Awareness Club, and is a member of his school’s sports medicine program. Graduating with a 3.8 GPA, he will attend Oregon State University, where he will pursue a degree in biochemistry, with an eventual goal of going on to medical school.

Tunkara received an award of $3,000 sponsored by the Lynnwood High School Athletic Booster Club.

SANDPOINT — About six months after the James E. Russell Sports Center first opened its doors in Sandpoint last December, city staff have reported that the facility has not sustained itself financially; they expect its revenue to be about $100,000 short of its expenses by the end of its inaugural year. 

On Wednesday, the city hosted about 100 community members at the racket sports center to gather input from users and explore potential changes that could drive up revenue or reduce costs. 

Community planning and development director Jason Welker, who oversees Sandpoint’s parks and recreation programs and facilities, suggested that the city could either maintain its current approach at the facility, shrink the center’s operating hours, install new modular playing surfaces for mixed sports use on some of the courts, or recruit a nonprofit organization to operate the facility.

Before any significant change can occur, a majority of Sandpoint city councilors will have to vote in favor. No conclusive decisions were made at the workshop. 

A $7.5 million gift 

The idea to create a public indoor sports facility in Sandpoint arose when Ginny and Jim Russell, wife and son of James Russell, a lifelong sports enthusiast who passed away in 2019, approached city staff with an offer to donate funds to cover the center’s construction. 

The Russells ultimately gave the city $7.5 million — one of the largest donations a municipality in Idaho has ever received for a recreation project — which allowed Sandpoint to complete construction late last year without spending any taxpayer dollars. 

As city staff prepared to open the sports center, they told community members that they intended for revenue from memberships and user fees to cover the facility’s maintenance and operation costs, and didn’t intend to dip into city funds to support the property. 

In a Feb. 5 city council meeting, Welker noted that the city is trying to run the facility like a business because, “it does need to cover its cost of operations.” 

After sharing Wednesday that costs over the first 12 months of operation are expected to total $222,858 while revenue is projected to be $120,921, Welker told attendees that spending at the facility has been inflated by start-up expenses and are likely to go down in future. He also noted that the city will not draw money from its general fund to cover the anticipated shortfall this year, but rather from its recreation fund, which is supported by city residents’ property taxes and ordinarily finances the city’s youth and adult sports programs, enrichment classes, lifeguard program and trail maintenance work. 

Welker further shared that he recently examined the financial structures of municipal sports centers across the country, and said he discovered that facilities like the Russell Center are rarely able to cover their costs without outside support. 

As a result of his research, Welker said he believes that regardless of the approach the city takes, “it is highly unlikely that this facility is ever going to fully fund its operations out of revenues.” 

Welker added that “the question council needs to answer is, ‘How do we maximize the community benefit provided the tax-subsidized nature of this facility?’” 

Possible revisions 

During Wednesday’s workshop, Welker introduced four potential paths forward for the facility. 

The first option is to maintain the current operating protocol and absorb the revenue shortfall each year at the expense of other city recreation opportunities. Welker noted that Sandpoint could utilize the skills of a new facilities supervisor joining the recreation department next week to expand programming at the property and increase awareness of the Russell Center. 

“We have completely failed in marketing this facility,” Welker said during the workshop. “There hasn’t been adequate marketing whatsoever.” 

Another option is “drastically” reduce costs by slashing operating hours and thus payroll — the property’s largest expense by far. Welker expressed concern, however, that a reduction in hours could come with a drop in memberships and limit the measure’s effectiveness. 

A third option is to purchase a modular court and artificial turf surface that could be installed on top of some of the existing tennis and pickleball courts and used for winter basketball, baseball, soccer and other sports. 

Along with a protective cover that could be rolled out over the floor and allow the Russell Center to host special events, Welker estimated the changes would cost $326,000 in total. He noted that the city has an offer in hand from an anonymous donor willing to cover half that sum. 

Welker calculated that the change could bring in an additional $56,120 in annual revenue, but noted that the estimate doesn’t account for a reduction in racket sports revenue that could occur when court space shrinks. 

The fourth option is to allow a third party to operate the facility. Welker noted that the city has communicated with the Pacific Northwest chapter of the nonprofit United States Tennis Association, and that the organization has expressed interest in becoming involved with the Russell Center. 

In similar municipally-owned facilities, Welker said, the organization has introduced a significant variety of educational opportunities and tennis programs. 

He noted that with the additional programming tends to come an additional cost. 

“Just to give the community an idea, this would not be an option that would necessarily make it cheaper to play at the sports center,” he said. 

Council, community feedback 

After city councilors absorbed the options, they voiced their thoughts; almost all expressed a desire to do right by Sandpoint residents at large. 

“I just want to make the best decision for the city taxpayers,” said Councilor Deb Ruehle. 

Councilor Joel Aispuro expressed support for the idea to install mixed-use surfaces to expand the Russell Center’s user group, but noted that it may be premature to initiate a significant change at the property — a point seconded by Councilor Rick Howarth. 

“I think it is prudent that we’re looking ahead and saying, ‘How do we go look to the future and make sure that we make this a viable option for the community?’” Howarth said. 

“But, we’re only six months into it,” he added. 

Many of the community members who spoke during the workshop urged councilors to allow city staff to ramp up marketing efforts and to give the local racket sports community time to cultivate new players. 

“I’ve been around long enough to remember when we started soccer, there was not a soccer community. Kids in the high school did not know how to play soccer,” said Cheryl Klein, former city recreation department employee and Sandpoint High School athletics director. 

“It took a while,” she explained. “You have coaches, you have programs, you grow and you make that happen.” 

Several coaches and leaders of youth sports programs spoke in support of the option to introduce mixed-use surfaces, and told staff they would be eager to pay to use them. 

Adam Tajan, local soccer coach, told attendees that there is a shortage of adequate indoor space for athletics during winter, and that because of it, he has had to turn away participants in the past. 

“I have been chasing indoor space for sports for a long, long time,” he said. “There’s a huge demand for that.” 

Regardless of their preference for the future of the Russell Center, community members voiced an opinion that the quality of the coaching, programs and opportunities for improvement within a facility are much more important than the facility itself. 

“If you just open the doors and let them do their thing and then leave, they may or may not come back,” said Darren Laiche, a local basketball coach. “If you have the right people running the facilities, making them feel a certain way, building confidence, making them feel good about themselves, they’ll never leave.” 

Next steps 

At the workshop, Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm told attendees that in the coming weeks, he intends to follow up with councilors and bring them a proposal that will dictate the facility’s future “sometime in the coming months.” 

He also noted that regardless of which activities the Russell Center goes on to host, he above all wants to see it full of city residents enjoying what it has to offer. 

The last time he visited the Russell Center with a family member, Grimm recalled, “We were the only people in the facility — and I thought, ‘What a shame that there’s no one here.’” 

“I’m not as concerned about the subsidies,” Grimm said. “I want to see it used. I want to see it appreciated.”

    Tennis players practice at the Russell Center Wednesday.
  

    The James E. Russell Sports Center, photographed in May.
  

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The basics:

At a May 28 press conference, a group of Camden business and community leaders announced the relaunch of an expanded Camden Health and Athletic Association.

CHAA makes sports and wellness programs available to Camden city youth. Founded in 2016 by a group of civic, health care and sports leaders led by Cooper University Health Care Chairman George Norcross III, an initial $1 million investment from The Cooper Foundation, The Norcross Foundation and AmeriHealth New Jersey backed the effort.

The initiative has been designed to serve as the umbrella entity to support existing programs, launch new ones, streamline equipment and uniform purchases, expand facility access, and coordinate health-focused partnerships across the city. It is organized as a nonprofit with corporate board and advisory boards for each sport.

“When we first founded CHAA in 2016 – myself, Dan Hilferty, and sports legends Ron Jaworski, Mike Quick, Garry Maddox and Billy Hunter – we did so because we knew the positive role youth sports played for all of us and so many others,” said Norcross.

Key details about the relaunched CHAA include:

• Camden Community Partnership (CCP) will manage it, with dedicated funding from The Cooper Foundation and The Norcross Foundation
• Will focus on four core goals designed to remove barriers, strengthen infrastructure and create sustainable opportunities for young athletes:

1. Expand youth sports access and participation

Engaging 1,000-plus Camden youth, reducing financial barriers through free skills clinics as well as enhanced programs in underserved neighborhoods

2. Improve coaching and leadership development

Providing year-round, comprehensive training and certification programs

3. Integrate health and wellness into youth sports

By providing free sports physicals, injury prevention education, nutrition workshops, and mental health and resilience support

4. Build sustainable funding

By securing more than $250,000 in funding through corporate sponsorships, grants and philanthropic giving

“With today’s announcement and changes to the operations and management of CHAA, we are doing more to ensure that every child in Camden has the ability to play sports and build strong, healthy habits regardless of what neighborhood they live in or their family’s ability to pay,” said Norcross.

The chance to grow

Dana Redd served as Camden’s mayor when CHAA first launched. She currently serves as president of Camden Community Partnership, which will assume management responsibilities of the relaunched CHAA.

“Since its founding almost a decade ago, the Camden Health and Athletic Association has provided support, guidance and funding to schools, community-based leagues, and local organizations to harness the power of sports to build a stronger, healthier community,” said Redd. “Through CHAA, thousands of children have benefited from CHAA’s efforts – and today’s relaunch represents a bold new chapter – one that builds on past success to meet the needs of Camden’s youth for years to come.”

“I learned so much by playing basketball growing up, especially the importance of teamwork and trusting others in life – lessons I use every day as mayor,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. “I am excited CHAA is expanding its reach so even more Camden children can benefit from the same opportunities and life lessons that shaped my journey.”

Philadelphia Eagles legend and current NBC Sports Philadelphia commentator Ron Jaworski was on hand for the relaunch (he also participated in the 2016 launch). He noted how important youth sports are.

“The lessons I learned through sports – collaboration, resilience and trust – have stayed with me throughout my life, whether in the game, the broadcast booth or the boardroom,” said Jaworski, also the founder of The Jaws Youth Playbook. “That’s why CHAA’s work in Camden is so important. It’s giving kids not just the chance to play, but the chance to grow into confident, capable leaders – on and off the field.”

More information on CHAA is available here.

Southaven will honor long-time parks and recreation director Mike Mullins with a plaque in Tribute Hall and will also rename Greenbrook Park in recognition of his pioneering service as a volunteer youth sports coach.

Mayor Darren Musselwhite announced on Friday that Mullins, who passed away in June 2024, will take his place of honor on the wall at City Hall which honors special people who have made significant contributions to the city.

“Although our city has been blessed to have so many volunteer coaches and parents whose selfless and tireless efforts have made Southaven special all the way back to our early days, no one played as significant a role in all of it more than Mike Mullins,” Musselwhite wrote on Facebook. 

Musselwhite said Mullins revolutionized the parks and recreation program in Southaven and made it into one of the best in the U.S. Southaven became nationally known for its sports facilities and became a destination for baseball and softball tournaments under his leadership of the parks department from 1999-2014.

“He helped design and supervised construction of Snowden Grove Park, the Bank Plus Amphitheater, and enhancements throughout the city,” Musselwhite noted. “He was instrumental in making the city the host site of the Dizzy Dean World Series and numerous competitive tournaments for many years which had a significant impact on tourism and economic development in the city.  Many other events enjoyed by citizens and visitors still today were started or influenced by him.”

Mullins began his service to the people of Southaven coaching youth football and baseball for three decades starting in the 1970s. He coached his first baseball team when he was just 16 years-old and notably coached the Steelers at Cherry Valley for 21 years and Team Pepsi for many years also. Before the city even had an official parks program, Mullins volunteered countless hours preparing and maintaining the fields at Greenbrook and Cherry Valley Parks and was often referred to by “Moon.”

“Many citizens will tell you they witnessed him riding a tractor at midnight or sponging a rain-soaked field so the kids could play the next day,” Musselwhite said. “He was known to spend his money for kids whose parents couldn’t afford equipment so the kids could play. “

Musselwhite said Mullins was an even better mentor who taught his players qualities that would help them become successful in their life outside of sports.

“His positive impact on our youth is immeasurable and although he is missed by many, he will never be forgotten,” Musselwhite said.

Residents who commented on Facebook called it a well deserved honor and recalled his dedication to youth sports.

“Everyone certainly knew who he was,” wrote Debbie Smith Sorn. “He was do dedicated.”

“He made a difference in so many lives,” Joan Harmon added.

“Good man and about time Southaven honored him,” wrote Michael McDaniel.

Roger Burns said he had many great talks with Mullins after games at Cherry Valley.

“He always had great advice and I will always be appreciative of it,” Burn commented.