Ray Palmer, STS

President and CEO
Ray Palmer, STS

Ray Palmer is President and CEO of Pensacola Sports, founded in 1955. Since joining the organization as Executive Director in 2002, Pensacola Sports (formerly Pensacola Sports Association) has seen unprecedented growth. Ray is a Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) recipient and 15-year member of NASC. He has been active in the Annual Symposium as a presenter and awards committee member as well as served on the membership committee. 

Focusing on event development and management, sports tourism, and its foundation, Ray has led Pensacola Sports by adding and growing both local events as well as sports tourism event creation, hosting and support. Events include the Subway High School All-star Series, multiple regional and national championships in various sports, Pensacola Double Bridge Run, Pensacola Marathon, Beach Firefighters Challenge, cycling events, collegiate national championships, and annual awards and scholarship banquets are part of the long list of events now produced and/or hosted by Pensacola Sports. In 2017, the National College Tennis Invitational and Pensacola Fishing Rodeo join the ever-growing list of quality events. 

Ray has long been a servant to the community, having served on too many boards and having volunteered for too many causes to mention them all. Notably, he is a past president and Paul Harris Fellow of Five Flags Rotary, a recent recipient of the Florida Sports Leadership Award, serves on numerous committees for Visit Pensacola and recently completed terms on the Board of Directors for the Florida Sports Foundation. In 2016 Ray was honored by the Pensacola Sports Executive Board as their Sportsman of the Year at their Annual Awards Banquet. 

Ray enjoys spending time with wife, Susan, and his three sons and grandson, particularly on the water. Not surprisingly, he is passionate about sports and is a tireless promoter of the Pensacola area to the outside world.