OUR TEAM
Jon Schmieder
Founder + CEO
Jon has over 25 years of direct experience in the sports tourism industry having held senior leadership roles with three different sports commissions; Phoenix, Tulsa, and Denver. Schmieder brings a wealth of experience in sports tourism and economic development having also served in lead staff positions for the Senior Olympic Games and Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading.
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Schmieder twice served as Chairman of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) and was on the organization’s Executive Committee for six years. While Schmieder served as the President of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, the NASC chose the organization as the 2012 Large Market Sports Commission of the Year.
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Schmieder was named the 2012 CEO of the Year by the Phoenix Chapter of the Organization of Non-Profit Executives. In 2016, Connect Sports honored Schmieder as an industry “Game Changer”.
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He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Arizona. He also holds a master’s degree in higher education leadership from Northern Arizona University.
(602) 369-6955
Cole served as the manager of Olympic & Paralympic Training Center sport business development for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee from 2016-2020. In this position, McKeel was in charge of generating outside revenue for the Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Lake Placid, N.Y. Prior to his role with the USOPC, McKeel worked as the marketing and media assistant and diversity and inclusion champion for USA Bobsled & Skeleton. In this role, McKeel was responsible for the company’s partnerships with BMW and Under Armour.
COLE MCKEEL
Vice President of Partnerships
McKeel serves as the Vice President of GoEmpire Group, a professional basketball athlete representation firm in Chicago. In this role, McKeel is responsible for international operations, including client recruiting and relations, as well as ensuring the continued satisfaction of GoEmpire clients. In addition, McKeel is an adjunct professor for the sport and recreation management program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He serves on advisory committees for the Southeast Tourism Society and the Adapted Sport Leadership & Business Symposium.
McKeel was the head manager for the basketball team at the University of Louisville, where he graduated with honors with a bachelor degree in sport administration and minors in business administration, finance and marketing. Upon graduation, McKeel furthered his education at UofL, earning a MBA with a concentration in finance. He also has a MS in Olympic Studies, Olympic Education and Organization and Management of Olympic Events from the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece.
(270) 210-9364
kevin de lange
Data & Communications Manager
Kevin brings his expertise and passion for data-driven insights to the sports tourism industry. He joined the Huddle Up Group in February 2023 as a Data Analyst intern, where he gained valuable experience and exposure to the intricacies of the field. Before joining the Huddle Up Group, de Lange completed an internship within the marketing department at Shawnee State University. During this time, he gained valuable experience and contributed to various marketing initiatives.
During his collegiate years, de Lange excelled as a student-athlete, earning the distinction of two-time recipient of the Academic All American Soccer Player of the Year award at the NAIA level. He served as the captain of the soccer team for four years and set a record for all-time career goals scored. De Lange holds bachelor’s degrees in Marketing, Business Management, and Information Systems from Shawnee State University.
(740) 771-0137
Strategic partners
Don Staley
Founder + CEO of SNAP Sports Tourism Consulting
Don Staley is the CEO/Founder of Southeastern Network of Athletic Professionals-SNAP which began operations January 1, 2022 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The former President & CEO of Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission retired August 30, 2022 after leading the organization since June 2017. Staley returned to Tuscaloosa by way of Foley, Alabama where he helped design, build, book and operate the 32.6 million mega sports complex. Staley’s dedicated efforts to the sports tourism industry were recognized in April 2015 by the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) during their annual symposium, where he was named Sports Tourism Executive of the Year.
Before his career in sports tourism, Staley built the University of Alabama women’s soccer program from its beginnings in 1994. Additionally, Staley was the head men’s and women’s coach at Radford University in Virginia. As a coach, Staley in 2004 became the fifth coach in NCAA soccer history to reach the 300-win mark. His overall career record of 324-257-38 spans 23 years. As a head coach at the Division 1 collegiate level, Staley garnered four Coach of the Year awards in two different leagues.
(205) 394-0700
Vince Trinidad
Founder + CEO of Bobcat Strategies
Vince is an Arizona native and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. He is married to the former Joanne Frinell. Together, they have been blessed with two sons and one daughter. His passion and enthusiasm for sports has taken his career to great places in the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, the South and now Oklahoma.
In addition to the Tulsa Tough Inc. board, he also is a Board member of Leadership Tulsa. Outside of work, he and his family explore cool adventures around the region. After being the executive director of the Tulsa Sports Commission, has formed Bobcat Strategies as a consulting business that specializes in organization management, partnership development and strategic planning for nonprofits.
(520) 609-2622