City of Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes  
Columbia Sports Commission  
Columbia Sports  
Fieldhouse - 4251  
Philips Farm Rd  
Columbia Missouri  
65201  
Thursday, October 12, 2023  
12:00 PM  
I. CALL TO ORDER  
James Arnold, Chair called the meeting to order at 12:01 pm.  
II. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS  
Jake Pohlman and Jordan Jacobs were present as representatives from Columbia  
Parks and Recreation. Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) staff members Adam  
Ziervogel and Trevor Bradley were also present. Denise Smith was present as a  
member of the public.  
8 -  
Present:  
Zina Fudge, Carter Marcks, James Arnold, Rodney Gray, Susan Hart, Jared  
Klarfeld, David Egan and Tony Daniel  
3 - Julie Calfee, Gabe Huffington and Richard Walls  
Excused:  
Absent:  
2 - Heather Cairns and Kristopher Kunz  
1 - Amy Schneider  
Non-Voting:  
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Hart motioned to approve the agenda; Gray seconded. Agenda approved as is.  
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Marcks motioned to approve the September Minutes; Fudge seconded. Minutes  
were approved as is.  
Attachments: 2023 September Minutes  
V. OLD BUSINESS  
There was no old business to discuss.  
VI. NEW BUSINESS  
Missouri State High School Activities Association Proposals  
The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has received a request for proposal from the  
Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) for its State Football  
Championships for 2024-2028. A proposal is due November 16th.  
The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau anticipates MSHSAA Baseball and Softball (Fall  
and Spring) Championships request for proposals to be released soon. The CVB  
does not anticipate being able to submit proposals for both Baseball and Softball  
due to a combination of facility limitations and time of year.  
VII. MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION  
Gray motioned to go into closed session; Klarfeld seconded. A voice vote was  
called. All present voted to go into closed session with no opposition. The  
meeting entered into closed session at 12:06 pm. The meeting exited closed  
session at 12:28 pm.  
Pursuant to section 610.021.1 (12) RSMo, sealed bids and related documents, until the bids are  
opened; and sealed proposals or related documents or any documents related to a negotiated contract  
until a contract is executed, or all proposals are rejected.  
VIII. STAFF REPORTS  
Sports Commission Report  
The events in the attached Sports Commission Report were discussed. Past events  
included in the report were the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Coaches  
Clinic at Columbia College’s Southwell Complex and the Columbia Public Schools  
Boys Swim and Dive CoMo Invitational. Arnold talked about the Coaches Clinic from  
the perspective of Columbia College and thanked the Vice Chair, Julie Calfee, for  
running the meeting in his absence while he worked the clinic. These events took  
place in September.  
A future event in the report that was discussed was the MSHSAA Cross Country  
State Championships. Newly confirmed business listed in the report included a Top  
Gun Softball Tournament to be held at Rainbow Softball Center and Antimi Sports  
Park April 5th-7th and Perfect Game Campus Series Events. The Perfect Game  
Campus Series is a combination baseball and softball tournament held at the  
University of Missouri’s facilities. The baseball tournament will be held April  
5th-7th. The softball tournament will be held April 13th-14th in conjunction with  
the University of Missouri’s home softball game against the University of Florida.  
Potential business discussed included Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)  
United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships and PDGA Amateur World Disc  
Golf Championships. A proposal is being prepared with the expectation of holding  
one of these events in 2025 and the other in 2027 with Harmony Bends Disc Golf  
Course serving as the championship host course. Other potential business  
discussed included National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s  
Cross Country and Men’s and Women’s Golf Regional Competitions and MSHSAA  
State Football Championships.  
Attachments: Sports Commission Report - October  
Sports Sales Activities  
Ziervogel traveled to Travel, Events, and Management in Sports (TEAMS)  
Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. He met with several event organizers that  
were interested in running an event in Columbia. Prospective event organizers  
included USA Flag, Prep Network, LLC, Primetime Sports, Cycling Quest, and Game  
Day USA. Bradley and Ziervogel have been preparing a bid to submit to the PDGA  
for the two major championships listed above. Bradley has been communicating  
with event organizers Professional Golf Association’s Drive, Chip and Putt; 5v5  
Soccer; and United Specialty Sports Association (Baseball), about potentially  
hosting events in Columbia.  
IX. NEXT MEETING DATE  
November 9 2023  
X. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, MEMBERS AND STAFF  
Hart and Schneider shared their experiences in Madison, Wisconsin for the  
Columbia Chamber of Commerce Leadership Visit. Hart noted a USA Wrestling  
event and a climbing event that the city hosts. Both noted the similarities they saw  
in the city compared to Columbia in general and as it related to the sports tourism  
industry.  
XI. ADJOURNMENT  
With no more business to discuss, Daniel made a motion to adjourn; Hart  
seconded. All voted in favor of adjourning at 12:39 pm.  
Members of the public may attend any open meeting. For requests for accommodations related to  
disability, please call 573-874-CITY (573-874-2489) or email CITY@CoMo.gov. In order to assist staff in  
making the appropriate arrangements for your accommodation, please make your request as far in  
advance of the posted meeting date as possible.  
USB DRIVES PROHIBITED: Due to cybersecurity concerns, flash drives and other media devices  
are no longer permitted for delivering files or presentation materials. A speaker who desires to  
display a presentation must upload the presentation, in advance, to the city network using an  
upload portal. To upload your files and learn more, visit CoMo.gov/upload. (Effective Jan. 1,  
2023)