Motorsports industry veteran Tish Sheets has been named national managing director of Speedway Children’s Charities.
As national managing director, Sheets will work closely with a multitude of diverse partners to advance Speedway Children’s Charities’ efforts to care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need. Sheets will lead the organization’s fundraising and marketing efforts and will also raise awareness of Speedway Children’s Charities and its seven chapters in the national motorsports community.
“As the needs of children across the country grow, our goal with Speedway Children’s Charities is to continue to grow as well,” said Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and founder of Speedway Children’s Charities.
“Tish Sheets will be the perfect addition to lead our growth initiatives in fundraising and from a national marketing perspective. She’s got the management experience and drive to take us to new levels, while maintaining our goals of helping children in local communities,” Smith added.
“We need more exposure and more donations in order to help more children, and that’s where Tish’s leadership will benefit us greatly.”
While Sheets will be a visible part of Speedway Children’s Charities at Speedway Motorsports Inc. facilities nationwide, her home office will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She will begin her new duties March 3. Sheets will work closely with Major General Tom Sadler, retired U.S. Air Force, who has led Speedway Children’s Charities nationally since 1990 and continues to serve as executive director and on the organization’s Board of Officers.
Previous to joining Speedway Children’s Charities, Sheets served as director of diversity and special projects for NASCAR for nearly a decade. In that role she developed and managed NASCAR’s diversity initiative to become a nationally recognized and award-winning effort. Sheets created NASCAR’s National Jobs program in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education, a resolution that was unanimously passed by Congress.
Sheets also developed NASCAR’s Executive Steering Committee for Diversity, which worked to promote diversity at all levels of the sport. The Committee included top-level executives from Fortune 500 companies that represent all aspects of corporate America including Earvin “Magic” Johnson and representatives from The Coca-Cola Co., Turner Broadcasting, Eastman Kodak Co., Sprint Nextel Corp. and the private sector.
Sheets most recently served as director of business affairs at IMG Worldwide.
"I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization like Speedway Children’s Charities, whose work has changed the lives of children for the better for decades,” said Sheets. “It will be a privilege to work with General Sadler and better understand the history of Speedway Children’s Charities so we may further develop and grow the organization for a prosperous future.”
Less dirt is flying now as bricks are added to the Town Center Building and the future home of Discovery Place KIDS! Those of us who drive by the site daily are truly amazed. It is exciting to see this beautiful structure take shape.
The work on the parking deck continues and soon we will see it emerge as the concrete sections are set into place. Using this link you will be able to view the latest aerial pictures showing what is currently taking place on the site: http://aerocam.zenfolio.com/p719717494. Shown above is an aerial picture taken the last week of December.
While the Town staff and Roger's Builders employees are hard at work so is the Discovery Place KIDS team. We moved the fire truck and speedboat onto the slab before the outside walls were finished and that created a great deal of excitement. Murphy Catton, Inc. has been selected as the exhibit construction firm for Discovery Place KIDS--Huntersville. Murphy Catton has been building innovative, timeless exhibits for 25 years. Recent children's museum clients include: Indianapolis Children's Museum, Strong National Children's Museum of Play, Rochester, NY; Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta, GA; The Children's Museum of Wilmington, NC; Kohl Children's Museum, Glenview, IL and Pretend City Children's Museum of Irvine, CA.
What an incredible opportunity we have to engage our community with this project and we are happy to have so many wonderful partners. We are especially grateful for our Founding Donors and thank you for taking a moment to celebrate our continued progress.
Jennifer R. Nichols
Director of Development
Discovery Place KIDS Projects
