“Each member will get out of [Sports ETA] what they put into it, and are asked to use their passions within our industry to make us stronger.”

That is exactly what Don Dukemineer does. He is the co-chair of the Mentoring & Engagement Committee and the current Sports ETA Treasurer.

Don is also the Director of Sports Development at Decatur-Morgan County Tourism where he is responsible for the sales and development of attracting sporting events, tournaments or competitions to the area. For Don, that entails building relationships with city and county officials, while also spearheading efforts to build new facilities or opportunities to increase economic development within our community.

Don says he’s always willing to help whether that’s giving advice or input on industry best practices or dressing up as a ‘Minion’ at a tradeshow, where he got mistaken for an actual park character.

“For once in my life, maybe I was a ‘real celebrity’ for a few minutes.”

Sports are more than just part of Don’s job. It’s a way of life for him. This Alabama fan was in the endzone of the 2016 College Football National Championship game when his team defeated Clemson. He looks forward to MLB Opening Day and the first Saturday of College Football each year. And on his bucket list, Don looks forward to attending a game at every MLB stadium.

Learn more about Don Dukemineer and the rest of Sports ETA’s mentors here.