Updated with expanded content December 19th
Washington, DC – Tom Mobley, general manager and CEO of the Washington, DC Convention Center, will join Global Spectrum as its senior vice president of convention centers in January. Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Comcast Spectacor, is a private facility management company that manages 14 convention centers such as the Miami Convention Center, Palm Beach Convention Center and the St. Charles Convention Center, in addition to a number of arenas and stadiums such as Cardinal’s Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The firm’s operations headquarters are in Pinellas Park, FL but Mobley will be based in Washington, DC for the time being.
Mobley headed the new Washington, DC Convention Center during its infancy and was on hand as the “old” Washington Convention Center, built in 1983, was imploded on December 18, 2004. Mobley has managed the nation’s largest exposition center (McCormick Place in Chicago), smaller centers (in Baltimore and Jacksonville, FL), and one in between (the Denver Convention Center). “I have always worked for one building at a time and for the government,” Mobley told TSE. “This is an intriguing opportunity for me — to join the private sector, working for a company that manages numerous public assembly facilities. Global Spectrum has a stable base of good quality buildings on the smaller side but they are very serious about growing their business and managing larger facilities. I am looking forward to being a part of that growth.”
In 2005, after being open for only two and half years, the Washington Convention Center reached the level of maximum practical occupancy with its bookings — a milestone some buildings never achieve. Mobley was also credited with stabilizing the operating budget, creating a customer advisory board and establishing an experienced executive team.
Mobley is currently chairman of the Convention Industry Council (CIC) and was the 2002 chairman of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
A search process for Mobley’s successor is underway. In the interim, an executive leadership team is leading the WCCA during the transition period and consists of Reba Pittman Walker, deputy general manager; Marlene Johnson, general counsel; and Henry Mosley, CFO.
Reach Tom now at (202) 249-3350 or tmobley@dcconvention.com. In mid January: 419 G Street SE, Washington,DC 20003.Phone (202) 543-6681. E-mail: tmobley@global-spectrum.com.
