Striking Spotlight

IBMA news release:

ARLINGTON, Texas – The International Bowling Media Association had a busy and productive three days at International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas the last week of June including electing a new president, selecting a new interim operations manager and approving spots for the board of directors.

The board elected Mark Miller of Flower Mound, Texas, as its new president, Kevin Hong of Normandy Park, Washington, as first vice president, Phil Brylow of Waukesha, Wisconsin, as second vice president and Sam Vasta of Milwaukee as sergeant-at-arms. Miller, who began his term Aug. 1, was re-elected to the board by members earlier in the day after sitting out a year due to term limits. He takes over for Johnny Campos, who served as president the past three years before also terming out.

Before Campos left office, he selected Steve Lawson of Mahomet, Illinois, as the interim operations manager replacing Randy Gulley of Pahrump, Nevada, who resigned in March. Campos served as acting operations manager in between. Lawson also was honored with the Mike Hennessy Award of Merit.

IBMA members in attendance also re-elected Hong, Vasta and George Wooten of Columbus, Ohio, to the board and approved the return of former board members Bill Zuben of Largo, Florida, and Frank Weiler of San Bernardino, California. Members also officially met Gary Forman of Fountain Valley, California, whom Campos appointed earlier this year to take the spot of Robert Sax who did not seek re-election.

In other action, the board approved the introduction of additional IBMA awards for podcasts, blogs, tournament live streaming, and related media beginning in 2023. Brylow will chair the new E-Media committee, and qualification criteria for these new award categories will be released in October 2022.

Members were also part of an exclusive question and answer session with Professional Bowlers Association Commissioner Tom Clark, United States Bowling Congress Executive Director Chad Murphy and Bowling Proprietors Association of America Executive Director Frank DeSocio.

A new feature at Bowl Expo was a series of interviews conducted at the trade show by Zuben and produced by Brylow that is being shown on IBMA’s Facebook page. The interviews feature key industry leaders and athletes. IBMA also presented winners of the 2021 major awards and writing competition to those in attendance.

IBMA Mission Statement

To be bowling’s source of excellence in the gathering and distribution of news and information through multiple media platforms and to encourage the pursuit of bowling media as a full or part-time profession.

IBMA Vision Statement

IBMA is an organization that is beneficial to the industry as it disseminates information to a world-wide bowling media, encourages bowling media as a career choice for younger bowlers, and provides technology updates to membership in covering the sport.