NEWS: Jacobs named president and Dicklitch, Bonfante and Kovacs join team
Sports Industry Veteran Tom Jacobs Named President of Snodgrass Partners
Lee Dicklitch, Larry Bonfante and Dr. Mark Kovacs also join the firm
Tom Jacobs, president of Snodgrass Partners
Overland Park, Kan. – January 19, 2017 – Snodgrass Partners, Inc. an Executive Search and Management Consulting firm, today announced that Tom Jacobs will transition from vice president to president of the firm effective immediately. Founder Steve Snodgrass who previously served as president and chief executive officer (CEO) will continue as CEO. In addition, the firm announces an expansion of its leadership and consulting team with the additions of Lee Dicklitch as vice president of collegiate sports and Larry Bonfante and Dr. Mark Kovacs as strategic partners.
“Tom Jacobs is one of the strongest and most capable leaders I’ve ever met,” Snodgrass said. “He has exhibited tremendous acumen across business and sports verticals and I am confident that he is the right choice to lead Snodgrass Partners into our next phase of growth.”
Jacobs joined Snodgrass Partners in 2016 to lead the firm’s new sports division, which identifies, recruits and vets coaches for collegiate Olympic sports programs. The sports-focused practice also provides recruiting and consulting to tennis and golf resorts and clubs in search of teaching professionals and operations directors.
Jacobs is a nearly 30-year athletics administration veteran who has held leadership positions at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He also worked as an athletic administrator at the Big Eight Conference (now the Big XII Conference) and the University of California, Berkeley.
Dicklitch Named Vice President of Collegiate Sports
As part of the Snodgrass Partners’ expansion, Lee Dicklitch has joined the firm as vice president of collegiate sports. He brings excellent experience and a broad network, which will enhance capabilities beyond Olympic Sports to include all collegiate programs.
Lee has served in a variety of roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the NCAA and within the minor-league sports landscape. Working on the NCAA Championships and Alliances staff, Lee served as an associate director on the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for six years. He has provided sport administration support to Division I Football (FCS), Division I Men’s Ice Hockey (Frozen Four), Division I Men’s Soccer (College Cup) and Men’s Lacrosse Championships. Lee has also provided support to seven Rose Bowl Games and two BCS National Championships.
“I have had the privilege of working with Lee at the NCAA and he brings a solid track record of creating and executing partnerships,” Jacobs said. “He has a knack for identifying opportunities and has the operational skills to ensure success. I couldn’t be more pleased to have him on our team.”
Bonfante and Kovacs to Provide Strategic Consulting
Larry Bonfante operates the CIO Bench Coach, which offers executive coaching and consulting services that helps IT executives and their teams develop critical skills. Bonfante extends Snodgrass Partners’ executive search capabilities identifying leadership talent – especially at in the area of information technology.
Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, CTPS, MTPS, CSCS*D, USPTA, PTR, is an internationally known performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background training and researching elite athletes. He uses the same core principles to coach high-level corporate leaders.
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