Don Staley has hit the ground running as the city’s first executive director of sports.
Calling it a “coming out party” for Foley in the national sports tourism scene, Staley in early April joined Jeff Rouzie, the city’s director of economic development, and Recreation Director David Thompson as well more than 800 sports tourism professionals at the National Association of Sports Commissions’ event symposium in Oklahoma City.
Sponsoring an event luncheon, the city unveiled its first promotional video marketing the under-construction, $27 million Foley Sports Tourism Complex. Targeted for completion in summer of 2015, the city will boast a 104,000-square-foot events center as well as 13 state-of-the-art soccer fields, including one championship field with seating for 2,000.
The new sports tourism hub will complement the planned Blue Collar Country entertainment complex, off the Beach Express at Baldwin County 20, and will include two hotels in the first phase of work.
